Abu Dhabi (Etihad)
Her Excellency Al Reem Bint Abdullah Al Falasi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, chaired the meeting of the Scientific Committee of the Fatima Bint Mubarak Motherhood and Childhood Forum, which will be held in its second session next November under the slogan “Mother and Child Mental Health.” The meeting, which was held virtually, was attended by members of the committee, which includes Her Excellency Dr. Moushira Khattab, President of the National Council for Human Rights in the Arab Republic of Egypt, His Excellency Dr. Hussein Rand, Assistant Undersecretary at the Ministry of Health and Community Protection for the Public Health Sector, and Dr. Ibrahim El-Zeiq, representative of the World Health Organization in the Gulf region. And representatives from the UAE University, Al Jalila Children’s Specialist Hospital and the United Nations Children’s Fund “UNICEF”.
The meeting included a review of a number of themes, the most important of which were the proposed objectives and topics, and the development of the general vision of the forum.
The forum, which will be held under the kind patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, President of the General Women’s Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, Supreme President of the Family Development Foundation, aims to support knowledge, capabilities and skills for workers and specialists in the field of child care and protection, and to provide opportunities for transferring experiences, models, methods, expertise and knowledge between Workers and specialists in the field of child psychological intervention and treatment. The forum also aims to spread societal awareness of everything related to the mental health of the child, satisfy his needs, protect him, guarantee his rights, and enhance the participation of children in public dialogues related to their affairs, concerns and issues, in addition to highlighting the efforts made by the state in developing psychological and social care institutions and services for children.
In 2016, the council organized the first session of the Fatima Bint Mubarak Motherhood and Childhood Forum, in the presence of Queen Silvia, Queen of the Kingdom of Sweden, and 300 representatives from federal and local government agencies, policy makers, specialists, civil society institutions and United Nations agencies, in celebration of International Children’s Day and UAE Innovation Week. The forum focused on creativity in early childhood development, and Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak awarded Queen Silvia the Order of Sheikha Fatima of the first degree, in honor of her, and in appreciation of her efforts for the benefit of women and children in her country and the world.