His Highness Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, has assessed the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority's endeavours in child protection and care, where he was welcomed by His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Head of the Office of Development Affairs and Families of Martyrs, and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority.
His Highness Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed prominent projects, such as the Children’s House initiative and the Child Protection Programme's Stay Safe.
Also present were His Excellency Major General Khalifa Hareb Al Khaili, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior, and Her Excellency Sana Mohamed Suhail, Director General of the Authority.
The team updated His Highness Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan on collaboration opportunities between the authority and the Ministry of Interior’s Centre for Child Protection. The goal is to fortify the child protection system, ensuring safeguarding against violence, abuse and neglect.
Emphasising the importance of cooperation, His Highness Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan called for improving the quality of children’s digital lives, positive technology use and artificial intelligence techniques to maximise care and protection, particularly for children in difficult circumstances.
The minister reiterated that protecting and caring for children ranks high among government leadership priorities. His Highness commended the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority and partners for creating a unified framework covering management, prevention, early intervention, reporting and awareness in the child protection system. This includes efforts to enhance the quality and efficiency of services, ensure professional availability and meet the needs of young children.
In response, His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan praised His Highness Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan's commitment to child protection. Strategies were highlighted to improve the skills of social support workers and accredit them as specialists. This ensures law enforcement, supports providing protection for children and enhances social responsibility for the wellbeing and development of children.
His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan further emphasised that “protecting children and providing a safe, supportive environment is crucial for planning and building the future.”
Focusing on the present, His Highness emphasised the need to prepare, empower and develop children, requiring redoubled efforts and unified actions to make children a permanent focus of attention and planning.
Their Highnesses witnessed the signing of a agreement between the Ministry of Interior and the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority on child protection in the UAE. The agreement aims to enhance joint cooperation, raise awareness, and maintain communication for common interests, improving implementation standards and practices in child protection. The agreement was signed by His Excellency Major General Khalifa Hareb Al Khaili and His Excellency Sana Muhammad Suhail, Director General of the Authority.
The Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority is actively working to strengthen the child protection system, covering prevention to rehabilitation. The focus includes developing capabilities of partners and workers, engaging parents and community members to support children's needs and wellbeing. This involves promoting positive behaviours benefiting children, enhancing their growth and capabilities, and designing processes for policy and legislation development related to early childhood development. The proactive strategy, based on participation and scientific evidence, has a strong possibility of implementation and application on the ground.
