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.