Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Monday, February 9th 2015 [ME NewsWire]

At the closing session of the Second Forum for Juvenile Centers and Social Education Homes in the UAE, participants stressed the need to enhance cooperation between the different centers and facilities working in the field of juvenile care. At the end of the forum, which was held on February 2- 3 under the slogan ‘Best Practices in Juvenile Reform’, participants also called for taking the necessary measures to standardize plans, programs, and approaches; in addition to exchanging ideas and evaluating experiences to achieve optimal results. They also stressed the importance of implementing the recommendations issued by the work team established by Juvenile Centers and Social Education Homes, and the Higher Committee for Child Protection and the need to integrate their efforts.

The forum also called for promoting prevention before the onset of delinquent behavior to prevent juveniles from becoming delinquents by communicating with social institutions; conducting surveys, field visits, and social and school training sessions; as well as activating and developing post-care programs. The recommendations also stipulated the need to engage parents with these programs in a bid to reintegrate delinquents into society with the help of competent authorities. They also called for establishing proper regulations pertaining to the selection of the administrative and professional staff for Juvenile Centers and Social Education Homes and the need to provide them with proper and regular training to ensure their efficient interaction and develop their skills and competencies. Participants at the forum also stressed the importance of activating the prevention procedures stipulated in Article (15) of the Juvenile Delinquency Act and Article (9) of 1976 about judicial probation and vocational training.

Recommendations also stressed the importance of focusing on restorative justice and including it in the new juveniles draft law, which promotes a key principle that detention should be a last resort for juveniles, and works to orientate interventions towards the best interest of the juveniles.  Other recommendations called for availing of the media to serve juveniles’ cases and achieve the objectives of care, reform, prevention and post-care; and establishing joint plans and programs to serve this end.

The two-day forum was inaugurated by Brigadier Ahmed Mohammed Nehkairah, Head of Human Rights Department, Ministry of Interior, and head of the Juvenile Centers and Social Education Homes’ work team at the countrywide level.

The forum, which that was held at Juveniles Care Center in Abu Dhabi, was attended by Colonel Mohammed Saif Al Zaabi, Head of the Punitive and Correctional Establishments Department at Abu Dhabi Police; Colonel Dr. Abdullah Mohammad Bu Hindi, Director of the Juveniles Care Center at Abu Dhabi Police; Esq.  Mohammed Rashid Al Dhanhani, Head of the Family Law Prosecution in Abu Dhabi; Moza Salem Al Shoomi, Director of the Child Department at the Ministry of Social Affairs; Dr. Huda Abdullah Al Suwaidi, Director of the Family Development Department at the Community Development Authority (CDA) in Dubai; Iman Abdullah Hareb, Acting Director of Social Protection Department at the Ministry of Social Affairs; in addition to directors of male and female Social Education Homes in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Al Fujairah.

In his speech at the forum’s opening ceremony, Colonel Dr. Abdullah Mohammad Bu Hindi, Director of the Juveniles Care Center at Abu Dhabi Police, noted that the forum was organized based on the directives of the higher leadership, which stipulates the need to providing care and assistance to juveniles and their families in order to serve the best interests of individuals and society in general, and calls for implementing  international best practices and experiences to achieve optimum results.

Colonel Dr. Bu Hindi said: “The two-day forum tackled various topics such as the appropriate methods to dealing with teenagers in general; nurturing children’s religious spirit; successful parenting approaches; successful juveniles reform programs; key practices and successful experiences in post-care rehabilitation; child protection against potential dangers inside or outside the home; as well as approaches and measures for preventing juvenile delinquency.” He also indicated that during the forum, a number of work papers were reviewed and discussed and were presented by a panel of care, rehabilitation and family experts and specialists; in addition to several purposeful workshops that were attended by juveniles from all over the country.

Colonel Dr. Bu Hindi expressed his thanks and appreciation for the various entities participating at the Forum and praised their valuable efforts and interaction with the center. He also commended their keenness to attending the forum and contributing valuable information, expertise, and best practices in juvenile reform. In conclusion, he wished all participants the best of luck.

Following the speech, the forum’s activities commenced, with two workshops. Brigadier Dr. Abdullah Mohammad Bu Hindi, Director of the Juveniles Care Center at Abu Dhabi Police, chaired the first workshop, which discussed three papers. Dr. Zubaida Jassem Mohammed from the Human Rights Department at the Ministry of Interior presented the first paper, which discussed ‘Legal Insights into the Juveniles Draft Law in UAE’. The second paper, which was presented by Abdurrahman Abdullah, family affairs expert and consultant, discussed ‘the optimal methods for dealing with teenagers and modern approaches for dealing with juveniles’. Fatima Abdullah Al Hammadi from the Family Development Foundation in Abu Dhabi presented the third paper, which discussed ‘successful parenting approaches’.

Dr. Huda Abdullah Al Suwaidi, director, Family Development Department at the Community Development Authority (CDA) in Dubai, chaired the second workshop, which included four papers. The first paper, which was presented by Miranda Giles, University of Salford, discussed ‘autistic spectrum disorders and delinquency risks’. The second paper, which was presented by Dr. Mohammed Thiab Al Karkhi, Psychiatrist at the National Rehabilitation Center discussed ‘children and family behavior’. Moza Salem Al Shoomi, Director of the Child Department at the Ministry of Social Affairs, presented the third paper on ‘Children’s Right toProtection’. The fourth paper, which was presented by Maryam Salam Al Munthari, discussed ‘family and childhood protection against risks’.

The second day included a number of workshops that aimed at rehabilitating juveniles and protecting them against any potential threats.

Towards the end of the forum, Brigadier Ahmed Mohammed Nehkairah, accompanied by Brigadier Mohammed Saif Al Zaabi, Brigadier Dr. Abdullah Mohammad Bu Hindi, Colonel Dr. Jassem Khalil Mirza, Director of Security Awareness at the General Directorate of Community Services at Dubai Police, Colonel Abdullah Ahmed Al Hosani, Deputy Director of the Juveniles Care Center at Abu Dhabi Police, honored the participating experts and the entities that helped bring success to the forum.

Boxed text:

Letter of thanks

Participants at the second Juvenile Delinquents Centers and Social Education Homes’ Forum expressed their heartfelt thanks and gratitude to Lt. General HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, for his kind patronage of the forum. They commended the unrelenting efforts exerted by HH Sheikh Saif and his diligent attention to this category, which reflects his abiding vision aimed at ensuring the best interests of individuals, families and the community in general. A vision that stipulates the need to providing the best care to juveniles and their families, from the moment they arrive at the center until after their release, based on the latest international plans and strategies in this regard. This aims at rehabilitating juveniles both behaviorally and professionally so that they are able to return to their communities as good citizens who serve their homeland and further position the UAE amongst the most developed countries.

For more information about:

The Ministry of Interior, please click HERE

Abu Dhabi Police, please click HERE

Follow us and check our Social Media feeds on: YouTube, Facebook and Twitter

The Arabic-language text of this announcement is the official, authoritative version. Translations are provided as an accommodation only, and should be cross-referenced with the Arabic-language text, which is the only version of the text intended to have legal effect.

Contacts

The UAE Minister of Interior's General Secretariat, Tactical Affairs and Security Media Department

Abu Dhabi Police GHQ - Security Media

Chris Cron +971-(0)-50-987-1317

E-mail: cron.media@hotmail.com

Permalink: http://www.me-newswire.net/news/13600/en