Tomorrow, the UAE celebrates “Emirati Children’s Day”, which has turned into a national occasion in which it renews its commitment to promoting the gains of Emirati children and guaranteeing their rights in all aspects of society, family, health and education, and everything that provides them with opportunities to enjoy a decent life and a better future.
The occasion, which falls on March 15 of each year, embodies the vision of the UAE and its keenness to raise the future generations in a sound manner that qualifies them to be good and effective individuals in society.
The UAE pays great attention to the rights of the child, and spares no effort in providing a healthy and exemplary environment for his growth that qualifies him to be a nucleus of development and a major tool in the path of development and prosperity. And proactive strategies and initiatives aimed at caring for children, protecting their rights, empowering them, and advancing them socially, healthily and educationally.
system
The UAE has an integrated system of institutions and agencies concerned with the protection and care of children whose efforts have contributed to the transition of children in the local community from the stage of demanding the guarantee of basic rights to the stage of empowerment and creating a future.
The Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood comes at the forefront of the official authorities concerned with launching awareness programs on children’s rights, while the ministries and federal agencies set internal and general stimulus policies and procedures to raise the level of care provided to children, while the Ministry of Interior and a number of legal authorities authorized to monitor abuses and immediate accountability by referring to the system Child protection laws and regulations.
On the initiative of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, “Mother of the Nation,” the UAE adopted the National Strategy for Motherhood and Childhood 2017-2021, to be a basic reference for decision-makers in the field of childhood in the country, as the strategy seeks To promote the right of children and mothers to comprehensive care within a healthy and sustainable environment, and to promote the right of children and adolescents to good-quality learning opportunities, in addition to supporting the active participation of children and adolescents in all fields, and in planning policies and programs.
Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 (Wadimah Law) constituted a quantum leap in efforts to protect children’s rights in the UAE, given the set of rights it guaranteed to children, such as their right to life and survival, basic, health and educational rights, and intellectual protection.
In turn, the Ministry of Interior established the Supreme Committee for Child Protection in 2009, and the Child Protection Center in 2011, and launched a hotline to facilitate reporting of cases of child abuse. The UAE also assumed the presidency of the virtual global force concerned with protecting children from the risks of exploitation via the Internet.
The choice of the UAE to be the first Arab country to join the global partnership to “end violence against children” constitutes a new recognition of the success of its national policies aimed at providing the highest levels of protection and care for children.
The Emirati Child Parliament, which was established on March 15, 2020, reflects the UAE’s interest in youth and future generations, and the development of their political awareness, to actively participate in the development and construction process and the accompanying transformations, and to exercise their societal role positively and efficiently.
The UAE leads many initiatives that positively affect the lives of millions of children.
Care
The UAE stands at the forefront of sponsoring and supporting countries for the world’s children to obtain the care and health care necessary for their safety and protection from epidemics and communicable diseases. In this context, the “UAE Campaign for Polio Vaccination in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan”, which was presented during the period from 2014 to the end of 2022, stands out. .. 667 million and 478 thousand and 974 vaccination doses in various regions of Pakistan.
Children are the first beneficiaries of the hospitals and medical centers that the UAE has established at its own expense in many countries. The UAE is keen to give priority in its foreign aid to protecting children’s education as an essential element in the advancement of entire societies, as the total state donations to support education projects around the world amounted to more than $1.55 billion as of September 2020. The UAE is active in providing digital protection for children, as it hosted in 2015 The second global summit of “WeProtect”, and in 2018 the UAE mobilized more than 450 religious leaders from around the world in the activities of the “Alliance of Religions for Societies Security: Child Dignity in the Digital World” conference.
