Under the Patronage of HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Tuesday, April 21st 2015 [ME NewsWire]
Under the Patronage of Lt. General HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior; the UAE Minister of Social Affairs HE Mariam bint Mohammed Khalfan Al Roumi inaugurated today (Tuesday) evening the Abu Dhabi Seventh International Conference for Persons with Disabilities (ACCESS Abu Dhabi 2015) organized by Zayed Higher Organization for Humanitarian Care and Special Needs. The event will be held at the Armed Forces Officers’ Club for three days under the title: “Promoting the Protection Rights of Persons with Disabilities.”
The opening ceremony was attended by Lt. General Saif Abdullah Al Sha’far, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Interior; Major General Khalifa Hareb Al Khaili, Acting Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior for Naturalization, Residency and Ports Affairs; Major General Ahmed Nasser Al Raisi, Inspector General of the Ministry of Interior; Mohamed Mohamed Fadel Al Hameli, Secretary-General of Zayed Higher Organization for Humanitarian Care; Brigadier Najim Abdullah Al Hosani, Head of the Social Support Centers Department at Abu Dhabi Police; and Colonel Obaid Rashid Al Mughni, Chief of Community Affairs at the Abu Dhabi Police Social Support Centers Department.
Lt. General Saif Abdullah Al Sha’far stressed the keenness of the higher leadership in providing all needs to persons with special needs in line with the concept of ensuring equal opportunities to all members of the community. He urged national entities to support the initiatives aiming at employing and rehabilitating persons with special needs, provide services and guidance to them, integrate them in the community, and provide opportunities that ensure enhancing the standards of their lives.
The Undersecretary at the Ministry of Interior told the press on the sidelines of the opening ceremony that the Ministry of Interior lays great emphasis on the participation of national entities in order to integrate persons with special needs in the society, utilize their capabilities by employing them, and provide them with means of protection to enable them continue their lives in a normal manner.
He valued the efforts made by the Zayed Higher Organization for Humanitarian Care and the attentions it extends to persons with special needs. He also valued the organization of this conference annually in order to raise the level of the community awareness and knowledge regarding the challenges and obstacles that face these persons, the proper ways to deal with such challenges, activate guidelines to limit and eliminate the negative behaviors against persons with special needs and their families.
Mohamed Mohamed Fadel Al Hameli, Secretary-General of Zayed Higher Organization for Humanitarian Care noted the pride taken by the organization for being one of the main entities in the country that implement the policies and programs of our wise government. He said that these policies and programs aim to rehabilitate and care for these persons in line with the implementation of the Federal law No. 29 for the year 2006 regarding the rights of persons with special needs. He said that they also aim to implement the objectives related to social care that is stated in the public policy agenda 2030 of the Abu Dhabi government, to provide them with the benefits of care and continuous attention provided by the higher leadership to the projects, centers and programs of the organization.
The Secretary General noted that providing a decent life to all Emiratis and caring for persons with special needs have always been a priority of our leadership since the inception of the UAE. This was clear in the efforts made by the HH Late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan who provided persons with special needs with all the required care, rehabilitation and treatment and medical services. The Secretary General said that HH Late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan always believed in the rights of a decent life for these persons, and stressed their role in supporting the development and comprehensive renaissance of our beloved country.
Al Hameli stressed that these noble efforts are complimented today with the directions of the higher leadership in line of a distinct and comprehensive set of policies, laws and continuous programs that serve persons with special needs.
The Secretary General extended on behalf of all participants his greatest gratitude to Lt. General HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior for his continuous efforts in supporting social programs and initiatives, and for his kind and generous sponsorship of this conference.
He also thanked HH Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Zayed Higher Organization for Humanitarian Care and Special Needs for HH support to the conference and commitment to provide all requirements to guarantee its success and achieve its objectives.
He also noted that the Seventh ACCESS Abu Dhabi 2015 tackles an essential topic: "Promoting the Protection Rights for Persons with Disabilities." It also focuses on protecting children with special needs, and other issues that ensures protecting the rights of people with special needs based on human rights treaties, and treaties on people with special needs.
The conference will also examine the child protection treaty that the UAE has signed, and was ratified by HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. The treaty takes into consideration the Emirati culture that is highly interested in bringing up children by fostering their pride in their Emirati identity and respecting the human brotherhood with an open minded ideology. It also focuses on raising the awareness of children about their rights, responsibilities, and duties in a society where justice, equality, sympathy prevails.
He also pointed out to the multiple objectives that the conference aims to realize; most notably shedding light on the Ministry of Interior’s experience in setting the strategic plan for child protection in the UAE. The strategy also aims to introduce treaties and agreements that guarantee the rights of people with special needs both regionally and internationally, in addition to strengthening their rights in education and stopping all aspects of violence against them in schools and centers. The conference will also review most notable international experiences of child protection in general and special needs in specific.
Concluding his speech, he expressed his gratitude to Minister of Social Affairs HE Mariam bint Mohammed Khalfan Al Roumi for attending the inauguration event and honoring the sponsors of the event. He also thanked all academics and specialized researchers from the UAE and abroad who participated in the conference. Additionally, he thanked all organizational committees and everyone who contributed in preparing and organizing the event. He also thanked all sponsors and supporters.
It is worth mentioning that the inauguration event has started with the National Anthem played by the Innovators Band, including ten students from Zayed Higher Organization for Humanitarian Care and Special Needs at Abu Dhabi Centre for Care and Rehabilitation of People with Special Needs, Dawn Syndrome category, in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Police Musical Band, and was followed by a recitation of the Holy Quran.
As part of the inauguration event, writer Frederick Harren who presented over 1500 papers in 55 countries last year, presented his experience under the slogan "Our attitude determines our power;" he discussed his point of view about the need to change the mentality in the society to identify the real capabilities of every person and how we, as a society, can learn and develop towards better understanding the strengths that are hidden in weak people.
For her part, Jane Braker, who is a person with a special need, talked about her life and how sad she looks as she was born without legs. She left hospital to be adopted, and her parents did not give her their name. All this was the greatest blessing in her life that changed forever.
The inauguration event was attended by a number of members of the board of Zayed Higher Organization for Humanitarian Care and Special Needs and representatives of ministries, departments, authorities, and strategic partners of the Zayed Organization.
The inauguration included a presentation titled "UAE Efforts in Fostering Disabled Rights in Protection." It focused on the most important procedures and decisions made on the Federal level to foster children rights in protection by all competent authorities.
In the presence of Lt. General Saif Abdullah Al Sha’far; HE Mariam bint Mohammed Khalfan Al Roumi honored sponsors including the Ministry of Interior, the main sponsor, in addition to golden sponsors: National Company for Investment, Armed Forces Hotel and Club, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC); silver sponsors: Armed Forces, Prism, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development; bronze sponsors: Al Hilal Bank, Al Gharbia Municipality (Municipal Affairs Department), Al Ketbi Travels, Al Majlis for Events.
Zayed Higher Organization Secretary General awarded a commemorative shield to HE Mariam bint Mohammed Khalfan Al Roumi as a gesture of gratitude for attending the conference.
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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
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