Sheikha Fatima meets Queen Silvia over children’s rights

Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak met with the Queen of Sweden on Wednesday to discuss children's rights.

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, the Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, receives Queen Silvia of Sweden and her delegation. Wam

ABU DHABI // Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak on Wednesday met the queen of Sweden to discuss the rights of children and the important roles women have played in the UAE’s progress.

Sheikha Fatima, widow of the founding President Sheikh Zayed and Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, received Queen Silvia at Al Bahr Palace.

They also discussed bilateral strategic partnerships.

Queen Silvia is in the UAE on an official visit to take part in the Global Child Forum, which begins on Thursday in Dubai.

The Dubai Foundation for Women and Children is hosting the event, which is being held outside Sweden for the first time.

Sheikha Fatima is also Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.

She said Queen Silvia’s visit was an important opportunity to learn from her expertise in child protection.

Sheikha Fatima said the queen had achieved high international standards in providing children with basic rights, security, health care and education.

During the meeting, she spoke about the developing rights for children in the UAE, which the country’s leadership had been supporting.

“Children’s rights is a cornerstone of the constitution and has been implemented in many of the national strategies and programmes for child protection, including the establishment of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood,” Sheikha Fatima said.

She briefed Queen Silvia on the progress of Emirati women, saying many held senior positions in the judiciary, diplomatic corps and security forces.

The queen praised the UAE’s focus on child welfare and Sheikha Fatima for her humanitarian work and philanthropy, particularly a Dh377 million donation in July to a London hospital for a research centre for rare childhood diseases.