Reem Abdullah Al Falasi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, said that this strategy is based on the principles set by the nation’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and carried forward as a cornerstone for development by the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Their Highnesses, Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates.

The UAE leadership are invested in empowering its citizens and ensuring the happiness of its citizens and residents alike, making the country a unique model for human development and empowerment across all levels, she added.

Al Falasi reaffirmed Sheikha Fatima bin Mubarak’s beliefs that the UAE’s progress and development across all societal levels is marked by its leading position on local, regional, and global happiness indices. These results, she added, confirm that the UAE is capable of being a friend to all, in general, and to women, children, and adolescents in particular.

The SCMC Secretary-General went on to say that with all these remarkable developments, Sheikh Fatima has directed for the development of a national strategy that complements the UAE leadership’s efforts to encourage empowerment of women, children and young adults in building a cohesive society across cultural, environmental and economic sectors.

The strategy will work to include the rights of mothers, children and young individuals as a key component of development trends, goals, policies, initiatives and projects. It will ensure provisions for support and health care opportunities for women and children, she explained, adding that the strategy aims to focus on children in broader and more comprehensive age groups, while adopting child-friendly hospital initiatives by the World Health Organisation, as well as the UNICEF Child Friendly Cities and Communities Initiative.

She noted that the strategy will contribute to creating integrated systems and frameworks to included various local and federal government bodies and departments, and civil society organisations.

The announcement coincides with the celebration of the UAE’s first ‘Emirati Children’s Day’, which aims to raise awareness surrounding child rights, as per the Wadeema Act, within the UAE community.