‘UAE committed to preserving child rights’
sharjah — The UAE is committed to implementing child rights locally, regionally, and globally, said Dr Khawla Al Mulla, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs in Sharjah (SCFA), on the occasion of World Children’s Day today. “The allocation of March 15 as Emirati Children’s Day reflects the great attention paid by the wise leadership for childhood and their relentless efforts to preserve children’s rights and their psychological, social, and educational needs,” she said.
“The cultural and developmental vision of Sharjah is based on advancing the new generations from the children and adolescents, guided by the saying of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the UAE Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah: ‘The child is the human being of the future and from him begins the industry’s most valuable capital’,” said Al Mulla.
“Sharjah has attached special importance to children’s rights and the provision of a safe environment to them, in accordance with the teachings of Islam and the Emirati customs and traditions. Also influential is the international conventions signed by the UAE since it was founded, thus reaching the highest levels according to the internationally recognised indicators,” she added.
Child safety initiatives
The Child Safety Department launched ‘Cyber Safety Ambassadors’ initiative in 2019, the first of its kind initiative which is based on the peer education approach, said Hanadi Saleh Al Yafei, director of the department. “Twenty-four of 80 children and adolescents were chosen as ambassadors, where they underwent training on cyber safety and best practices online so they can train their peers on Internet safety.
“The department also launched several initiatives to raise societal awareness about the child’s psychological and physical safety, including ‘Responsible Media… Safe Child’ initiative and two surveys on the
child cyber safety and the use of child car seats,” she said.
This is in addition to many other initiatives the SCFA is launching to ensure the care and development of the child and to provide an integrated environment based on safety and stability so that the child can effectively play his role in society.