DUBAI, (Pakistan Point News - 15th Mar, 2021) The Department of Community Development (DCD) in Abu Dhabi has announced the formation of the "Family and Child Protection Committee" which aims to protect families and children as well as evaluate Abu Dhabi’s systems and processes related to addressing their concerns.
The announcement coincided with the "Emirati Children’s Day" which is being celebrated every year on 15th March, in line with the Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 concerning child rights.
The UAE’s wise leadership has given importance to the "Emirati Children's Day" as they believe that children are tomorrow’s youth who will play key roles in achieving sustainable development in all areas of life.
Dr. Bushra Al Mulla, Executive Director of Community Development Sector at the DCD and Head of Family and Child Protection Committee, noted the UAE’s key milestones achieved in 2020, particularly the establishment of the first "Emirati Children's Parliament" which aims to increase the participation of children in general and social issues that concern their wellbeing.
She said that the parliament was launched following the agreement signed between the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood (SCMC) and the Federal National Council (FNC), in line with the Political Empowerment Programme, an initiative of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE.
Remarking on the formation of the "Family and Child Protection Committee", Al Mulla said, "The move is in accordance with our wise leadership’s ambitious vision and goals to provide support, care and adequate attention to children and their families and ensure their rights are protected in line with the highest international standards and practices."
"The new initiative aims to help the department jointly work with relevant authorities to review the current family and child protection system, identify the required enablers to boost the effectiveness, quality and efficiency of this system and strengthen coordination between all the concerned parties to make necessary recommendations related to the urgent and serious social causes," she explained.
Al Mulla further discussed the committee’s tasks which include conducting a comprehensive periodic evaluation of Abu Dhabi’s family and child protection system; identifying all measures taken to support this system; analysing current gaps, weaknesses, and challenges, and developing recommendations to address arising issues. It will also be responsible for reviewing social cases in the emirate and discussing social trends that would need to be informed to the community through public and media awareness campaigns.
The committee will create action plans and submit proposals focused on ways to improve the existing family and child protection frameworks. It will also prepare annual reports that include recommendations on how to improve the processes in social case management and supervision and how to address the most serious, sensitive and complex situations.
