Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden and Chairperson of Dubai Healthcare City Authority and Chairperson of International Humanitarian City, Her Royal Highness Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, wife of Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, yesterday officially opened the first Global Child Forum outside Sweden.
The Forum was opened in the attendance of H.H. Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-Chairwoman of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, HRH Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia, HRH Prince Ra'ed bin Zeid and his wife, HRH Princess Magda Ra'ed, along with Abdullah Al Shaibani, and Major General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri.
The two Royal patrons both gave keynote speeches that called on the importance of cross-sector partnerships to improve the rights of the children in society. "The vision of the Global Child Forum is a sustainable world where children's rights are respected and supported by all stakeholders in society", said Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden.
"Many nations, and I am proud the UAE is among them, have made children a priority. No country today is more devoted to giving children opportunities and helping them realise their potential more than the United Arab Emirates," said HRH Princess Haya. "Child health in the UAE has improved dramatically since unification in 1971; we have seen the Infant Mortality Rate drop from 18 per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 6 in 2010. And the under-five mortality rate per 1,000 live births dropped from 22 in 1990 to 7 in 2010. The UAE has already achieved the fifth Millennium Development Goal regarding improving maternal health and its Maternal Mortality Rate per 100,000 live births since 2004 is zero." The Global Child Forum, an international independent platform for research, dialogue, information and action, was initiated by Their Majesties King Carl XVI Gustaf and Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden. Co-organised under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden and HRH Princess Haya and in partnership with the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood and Dubai Foundation for Women & Children (DFWC), the one day forum urged the region to champion develop multi-stakeholder partnerships to inspire cross-sector action on children's rights.
Held for the first time outside Sweden, the one-day forum was attended by more than 400 delegates regional and international decision-makers from business, finance, state, academia and civil society to discuss improvements of children's rights as part of the global sustainability agenda.
The aim of the event is to broaden the network of stakeholders working for children's rights and also to support cross-sector partnerships and knowledge sharing in the region.
Guest speakers included Ambassador Ahmed Benhelli, Deputy Secretary General, League of Arab States and Salil Shetty, Secretary General, Amnesty International.
Source: WAM