The UAE places the interest of the child at the heart of all its decisions and policies

His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Office for Development Affairs and Families of Martyrs, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority, affirmed that protecting children’s rights and ensuring their physical and psychological safety represents a strategic priority for the UAE, which places the interest of the child at the heart of all national decisions, policies and programmes.

On the occasion of World Children’s Day, and in conjunction with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, to make 2026 the “Year of the Family,” His Highness said that this occasion constitutes an opportunity to renew the commitment to providing a safe and supportive environment that respects the rights of the child, meets all of his needs, and enables him to grow and prosper within a cohesive family, an interdependent society, and effective institutions that work in an integrated manner for the future of future generations.

This year, the UAE celebrates International Children’s Day under the slogan “Listen to the Future! Stand for Children’s Rights”, coinciding with the activities of Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Week.

His Highness called for continuing to unify national efforts to enhance child protection, through cooperation between federal and local authorities concerned with family and childhood, especially in the course of policies and programs that support children, pointing to the importance of developing the “Stay Safe” system as a comprehensive and integrated framework linking all concerned parties, ensuring a safe environment for children, starting from the family as the basic pillar of protection and care, and passing through the educational, social and health sectors, all the way to judicial and law enforcement authorities.

The Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority continues its efforts to strengthen monitoring, evaluation and quality assurance systems within the “Stay Safe” system, expand the scope of preventive programs, and adopt innovative, evidence-based interventions that keep pace with the needs of children and families in light of the rapid social and technological transformations.

The Authority had launched the “Stay Safe” system in cooperation with its partners in various sectors, which reflects Abu Dhabi’s commitment to achieving the sustainable development goals of the United Nations, and confirms the contribution of local efforts to enhancing child protection at the global level.

The Emirate of Abu Dhabi has achieved tangible progress in qualifying national cadres by training hundreds of specialists, including specialists, teachers, doctors, nurses, social workers, members of the Public Prosecution, and others, in more than ten accredited programs in cooperation with the National Academy for Childhood Development, in a way that enhances the readiness of the child protection system at the emirate and state levels.

Within the framework of Abu Dhabi’s child protection strategy “2020-2024”, the emirate established the Child Center as the first comprehensive center providing protection services under one roof, in partnership with the Family Welfare Authority, which contributed to facilitating families’ access to integrated support and accelerating response to cases.

A new branch of the center was opened in the city of Al Ain, with future plans to expand to other areas of the emirate, in addition to launching the electronic reporting portal for safety concerns, which allows direct communication with specialists to ensure rapid and immediate intervention when children are exposed to any danger.