SHARJAH // Plans to protect, shelter and educate two million refugee children in the Middle East and North Africa would be drawn up at an international convention in Sharjah later this month.
More than 300 global leaders and government officials would attend the Investing in the Future conference, to be held from October 15 to 16, to mobilise joint efforts to improve the lives of refugee children and youth.
This would be the first time that such a meeting has been organised outside the Geneva headquarters of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
“Children form more than half the number of refugees in the Mena region,” said Mohammed Abu Asaker, the UNHCR public information and communications officer.
“The conference comes at a critical time, with the increasing number of refugees in the Middle East in the past few years.
“The impact of displacement on children is dire, especially school dropouts, who are more vulnerable to ignorance and loss.”
The number of refugees in the Mena region stands at more than 3.8 million. Of this, more than 3 million are Syrian, including 1.8 million children. And this number is expected to reach 2 million children by the end of the year, said Mr Abu Asaker.
The children, more than half of whom are of school age, turn to the labour market for a living. More than 8,000 Syrian children are not accompanied by their parents and are therefore identified as separated from their immediate family.
“Children have the right to live in normal conditions until they return to their countries,” Mr Abu Asaker said. “Our efforts must focus on that. We are convinced that we should not ignore the rights and needs of refugee children, in order to protect them from the many dreadful risks they might face.”
The support extended to refugee children should not be limited to basic needs, but should cover their rights to protection from risks, he said. This included psychological treatment and rehabilitation.
The UN meet is being held in collaboration with Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, the wife of the Ruler of Sharjah, and her The Big Heart campaign, which provides for Syrian refugees with a focus on children. Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan would deliver a keynote speech on the opening day.
“We are looking forward to having a historical event and milestone that will make a difference in the lives of refugees,” Mr Abu Asaker said.
Attendance by government officials, regional leaders and international experts in refugee and child protection would help facilitate the implementation of recommendations, said Mariam Al Hammadi, the director of the Salam Ya Seghar initiative.
The meeting also aims to ensure that refugee children are provided with the required legal documents and access to participation in the community, she said. The sessions would discuss sexual and gender-based violence, children affected by armed conflict, how children and the youth can protect themselves, the role of family, community, the private sector and media.
A youth forum would also be organised on the sidelines. “The forum includes workshops presented by the UNHCR and other humanitarian organisations with the aim to educate, engage and encourage youth to positively contribute to the community,” Ms Al Hammadi said.
rtalwar@thenational.ae
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Checks continue
A High Court judge issued an interim order on Friday suspending a decision by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to direct a stop to Brexit agri-food checks at Northern Ireland ports.
Mr Justice Colton said he was making the temporary direction until a judicial review of the minister's unilateral action this week to order a halt to port checks that are required under the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Civil servants have yet to implement the instruction, pending legal clarity on their obligations, and checks are continuing.
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance: the specs
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 plus rear-mounted electric motor
Power: 843hp at N/A rpm
Torque: 1470Nm N/A rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.6L/100km
On sale: October to December
Price: From Dh875,000 (estimate)
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WHY%20AAYAN%20IS%20'PERFECT%20EXAMPLE'
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
The low down
Producers: Uniglobe Entertainment & Vision Films
Director: Namrata Singh Gujral
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Nargis Fakhri, Bo Derek, Candy Clark
Rating: 2/5
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RESULT
Valencia 3
Kevin Gameiro 21', 51'
Ferran Torres 67'
Atlanta 4
Josip Llicic 3' (P), 43' (P), 71', 82'