UPDATE 2-Higher Committee Members showcase UAE National Strategy

(Adds remarks of Secretary- General of the Executive Council) DUBAI, 20th September, 2017 (WAM) -- Members of the Year of Giving Higher Committee Meeting have reviewed all federal and local initiatives within the Year of Giving's six main pillars as part of the meeting attended by Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum today.

The various accomplishments achieved in the Year of Giving was reiterated by the Higher Committee, affirming the act of giving and charity adopted by the nation since its establishment, the energies the country's youth who are committed to best serve the nation, and the cooperation between both in the public and private sectors.

During the meeting, Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, said that the industry's corporate social responsibility, CSR, initiatives are a vital component of sustainable development, as they play a fundamental role in enhancing the complementary relationship between investments and community development.

Al Mansouri added, "Since the declaration of 2017 as the Year of Giving, and in light of the wise leadership's guidance and follow-up, the concept of social responsibility in the country has witnessed successive developments, in which the Ministry of Economy adopted the Year of Giving's six main pillars, and in cooperation with its various partners, established legislative and regulatory structures to build CSR practices through 11 ambitious initiatives that provide the necessary mechanisms and tools to ensure the continuity and sustainability of this trend."

Al Mansouri explained that among the most prominent initiatives adopted is the CSR Smart Platform, a comprehensive electronic platform that provides the private sector opportunities to participate in development and community projects.

He added that the commitment of businesses when registering on the platform provides the business community with the opportunity to take part in a number of other programmes, of which 20 companies with outstanding contributions will be honoured annually in the CSR Annual Report. Al Mansouri also explained that the platform is expected to be officially launched shortly, emphasising that it will constitute a qualitative step in enhancing the corporate social responsibility environment in the country. It will also complement national efforts to promote humanitarian and philanthropic work on both institutional and individual levels, he remarked.

The Minister of State for International Cooperation's, Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashimy, comments during the meeting affirmed that the UAE, since its establishment by the founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, has extended a helping hand to various people in need across the globe regardless of religion, gender or race. She added that Year of Giving, launched by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, reconfirms the nation's legacy to provide assistance and support to friendly countries in a bid to enhance their security and stability.

This legacy of giving and care has been recognised through the UAE's ranking as the world's largest donor of development aid as per Development Assistance Committee at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD, Al Hashimy continued.

"The Year of Giving reinforces this approach adopted by the country, which is keen to assume its responsibility to play a leading role in providing humanitarian assistance, not only through the financing of infrastructure and capacity building, but also to contribute towards supporting the prosperity and development of individuals, especially the empowerment of women and girls," the Minister of State for International Cooperation explained.

Najla bint Mohammed Al Awar, Minister of Community Development, also praised the declaration of 2017 as the Year of Giving by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to form the Year of Giving Higher Committee. The Year of Giving has revealed the spirit of generosity instilled in the people of the UAE, and their awareness of their duties and responsibilities towards our nation as well as those in need.

She also highlighted the substantial achievements garnered by the National Volunteer Platform which saw the registration of over 2.8 million volunteer hours, 141 institutions offering 716 volunteer opportunities in various fields, along with almost 275,000 volunteers registering nationwide surpassing the initial goal of 200,000 registrations.

Al Awar continued, "The UAE National Strategy for the Year of Giving has raised the awareness of both individuals and institutions on their role in supporting and sustaining volunteerism initiatives, and harnessing their energies and expertise towards aiding communities," adding that a nation's development and success lies in its people's selflessness and humanitarian values.

The committee meeting also saw Dr. Sultan bin Ahmad Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State and Chairman of the Board of Director of National Media Council, NMC, confirm the media sector's commitment to the UAE's Year of Giving launched by the wise leadership. Dr. Sultan Al Jaber highlighted the nation's humanitarian efforts since its founding, and the legacy that the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan instilled in the country's generations to do good and give to those in need both inside and outside of the UAE.

"This legacy also included the media sector, which has supported the Year of Giving's various pillars and strategies to achieve its objectives," he said, adding that the most important of which was the 'Journalists for Good' initiative which has sustained more than 90,000 voluntary hours that include volunteers assisting in charitable works both within and outside of the UAE.

"Thanks to the guidance and support of the wise leadership, and the dedicated efforts of the various media institutions and colleagues, and their commitment to the homeland and society, the UAE media sector succeeded in highlighting the different philanthropic gestures in the Year of Giving," Dr. Al Jaber elaborated further. He explained that the #YearofGiving hashtag has garnered over 10 billion views and interactions across the world and that several meetings were held with social media influencers and media personalities to reaffirm the culture of the Year of Giving within the 'Giving Influencers' initiative.

He added that these achievements are the result of a unified cooperation of the nation's media sector, and would not have been attained without the concerted efforts of all members of the UAE media family in both the federal and private sectors, highlighting that these efforts will not end here and that they would continue in 2018 as part of the Year of Zayed, that stresses the legacy of the founding father's generosity and philanthropy.

For her part, Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Happiness, affirmed the importance of Year of Giving, reflecting the great humanitarian values rooted in the nation's heritage and culture. "The people of the UAE and our faith embody the commitment to philanthropic values that seek to provide hope, positivity and happiness in the hearts of individuals in need," she added.

As for the National Happiness and Positivity Programme, Al Roumi explained that it focused on establishing an environment that ensures the happiness and well-being of society by featuring various policies, initiatives and services that guarantee the spirit of giving. According Minister of State for Happiness, the programme's activities, both within the public and private sectors, succeeded in spreading the culture of giving and encouraging volunteerism.

Shamma bint Sohail Faris AlMazrui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, also confirmed the positive impact that the Year of Giving has had on the nation's youth, and how it has fortified the values of giving within them.

"The UAE National Strategy for the Year of Giving targeted the nation's young people as key players in the country's progress and development, emphasising that the act of giving is the foundation on which our nation will continue to grow," AlMazrui communicated.

"President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, continually reaffirm the nation's support and encouragement of our youth, as Their Highness hold the utmost belief in their energies and capabilities," the Minister of State for Youth Affairs continued.

The Year of Giving has revealed many bright and gifted talents of young models in our society, especially influencers on social networking sites, who continue to do good for the community and lend a helping hand to those in need, AlMazrui concluded.

Dr. Ahmed Mubarak Al Mazroui, Secretary-General of the Executive Council, said that the UAE Government, through the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, reaffirms its continuous efforts to carry forward the philanthropic legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Dr. Ahmed Al Mazroui spoke on the various initiatives undertaken by the Government of Abu Dhabi within the Year of Giving national framework, which included the launch of seven key initiatives and 161 programmes about the humanitarian and charitable actions by various sectors within the first half of 2017. These diverse initiatives and programmes benefited around 17,000 individuals and families from different segments of society, including 10,500 disadvantaged persons and families who benefited from monetary donations distributed by the Emirates Red Crescent, ERC.

He highlighted how 2,380 volunteers were partaking in the various initiatives, and nine Abu Dhabi real estate developers contributing a collective total of AED323 million to build amenities that benefit Abu Dhabi communities, are examples of how deep the culture of giving and volunteerism is instilled within the UAE culture and heritage. The Abu Dhabi Government initiatives during the Year of Giving have so far assisted 548 people of determination and patients, by hosting annual exhibitions that showcase products made by people of determination, as well provide access to job opportunities and training development, and has also seen the provision of AED80,000 for kidney patients to receive treatment, he continued.

Other initiatives included the provision of Ramadan Iftar meals, clothing, and other in-kind items, the opportunity to perform Umrah, as well as supporting small and medium enterprises, SMEs, the Secretary-General added.

Dr. Al Mazroui went on to say that the Emirate of Dubai implemented 444 initiatives as part of the National Strategy for the Year of Giving, whereby 99 private sector and civil society organisations were involved, with some 20,000 volunteers and a total of 65,000 volunteering hours registered. "Beneficiaries exceeded 1.2 million in more than 17 different categories, including the elderly, orphans, low-income families, underprivileged individuals residing in various countries, caregivers, patients, and new graduates," he detailed.