H. H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, has approved the child protection strategy prepared by Dubai Community Development Authority (CDA).

The policy aims to protect all children in Dubai from all forms of violence, negligence, abuse and exploitation and to provide them with assistance and care for those in need.

The strategy targets under 18 year national and non-national children who living permanently or temporarily in Dubai through an integrated system that ensures delivery of best, services, criteria and mechanisms for protection and care of children.

Khaled Al Kamda, Director General, CDA, said the policy underlines the CDA’s commitment to Dubai Strategic Plan 2015 which calls for provision of proper social services to meet requirements of the local community and realise dignity, equality and justice among its various segments.

He noted the policy was a fruit of in-depth analysis of the child’s reality in emirate of Dubai after conducting series of consultations with government and non-government agencies, and international organisations specialised on children’s issues. He added that parents were also polled to probe the most pressing concerns facing them. Best Gulf, regional and international protection practices were also examined so as to hammer out this strategy.

He said that the policy will seek, among other important things, to issue a child protection law in Dubai with regulatory frameworks to establish an integrated transparent system of protection. The law will define mechanisms of governance, action and coordination among stakeholders.