MoI Presents Experience in Child Protection at Training Forum in Riyadh

In a training forum recently held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; the Ministry of Interior participated by contributing their experiences in the field of child protection. The forum, which focused on criminal procedures for child abuse cases and ways to combat domestic violence, was organized by the National Family Safety Program of the Saudi Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (NGHA); and held in collaboration with the Naif Arab University for Security Sciences.

“The Ministry of Interior’s participation in this forum falls in line with the national strategy of the UAE, and corresponds with the vision to become one of the safest countries in the world for children and to lead as a role model for our neighboring countries in this field,” said Major General Dr. Nasser Lakhrebani Al Nuaimi, Secretary General of the Office of HH Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Higher Committee for Child Protection at the Ministry of Interior and President of the Virtual Global Taskforce.  

He indicated the importance of taking part in regional and international conferences and workshops in order to review the efforts and to exchange field experiences and international practices. “These steps are essential for offering the assistance needed to protect children from any of the dangers that threaten them,” he said. He noted that such participation helps to enhance international cooperation, sharing knowledge and best practices, as well as becoming acquainted with leading international initiatives and programs in this field.

The presentation was made by Major Dr. Mohammed Khalifa Al Ali, Director of the Ministry of Interior’s Child Protection Centre, in which he explained the origins and development of the Ministry of Interior’s Child Protection Centre (CPC), and the mechanism used to prepare and implement its strategy in child protection. He referred to the establishment of the Higher Committee for Child Protection and how it encompasses all of the concerned entities within the UAE.

Major Dr. Al Ali highlighted the efforts of the Centre in developing policies, procedures, guidelines and criteria for addressing abuse cases; as well as the threats to which children are exposed, and the services provided to them. He also highlighted how the Centre organizes, evaluates, and implements the policies and procedures related to child protection. He referred to the efforts of reviewing the practices in cases of injuries, child abuse and other cases that impact the safety and protection of children, in addition to collecting and analyzing statistical data to determine the risks that threaten the safety of children in the UAE. He said the Centre works to raise the level of community awareness regarding the 14 dimensions of child protection while communicating with media outlets regarding matters related to child protection. 

He also discussed the efforts of the Centre in combatting the online risks that children may be exposed to. He said the Centre works towards intensifying its awareness campaigns, and presented some of the findings of field studies conducted by the Centre. The presentation also included the distribution of some of the educational material and brochures used by the Centre to the participants. 

Major Dr. Al Ali  stressed that the participation in the forum provided an opportunity to meet persons from various scientific specializations and categories to exchange opinions, ideas and practices in the field of human rights especially child protection. He noted that creative and innovative ideas stem from direct interaction with experts and specialists. Such participation also plays a role in introducing influential persons in this field, thus extending solid bridges of friendship and strengthening cooperation between countries for further concerted efforts to protect children from possible threats.

The presentation was well received by the participants, who emphasized their keenness to utilize the experiences of neighboring countries. They praised the pioneering experiences of the UAE in the field of child protection.