The UAE Children’s Parliament holds a session entitled: "Children’s information in the digital age"

ABU DHABI, 17th February, 2017 (WAM) – Today, the UAE Children’s Parliament held its third and final session within its first legislative term, in the presence of His Excellency Saqr Ghobash, Speaker of the Federal National Council, His Excellency Abdullah Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi, Minister of Justice, His Excellency Mohammed Saeed Al Shehhi, Vice President of the National Media Authority, Her Excellency Al Reem bint Abdullah Al Falasi, Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and a number of senior officials from a number of agencies. concerned.

During the session, which was held under the title “Children’s Media in the Digital Age… Awareness… Protection… and Identity”, and chaired by Sheikh Humaid Al Qasimi, President of the Emirati Children’s Parliament, the slogan for the celebration of Emirati Children’s Day for the current year 2026, which the country will celebrate on March 15, was announced, which is “The Right to Digital Knowledge”, in confirmation of the UAE’s commitment to enabling its children to have safe access to digital knowledge, and to promoting their responsible use of technology, in a way that preserves their dignity and safeguards their safety in the digital space.

During the session, it was also announced the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence Committee, as one of the permanent committees in Parliament, whose role will be to discuss projects and initiatives concerned with the use of artificial intelligence programs and applications by children in the country and the mechanisms for regulating them, and to follow up on issues related to this aspect with the relevant authorities in the country.

The holding of this session comes in light of the pivotal role of the media in building community awareness and strengthening national identity, and the rapid development of digital media and social media platforms that the world is witnessing, which makes members of the UAE Children’s Parliament directly concerned with presenting national media proposals that contribute to empowering children and adolescents, developing their media skills, consolidating authentic Emirati values, and enhancing the credibility of national media.

During the session, members of Parliament presented a set of proposals that are consistent with the vision of the United Arab Emirates in developing a responsible, innovative and reliable national media capable of keeping pace with global changes, reflecting the country’s honorable image, and contributing to building influential soft power by investing the energies of young people in creating positive and conscious media content that serves society and protects it from media misinformation.

In their interventions, members of the UAE Children’s Parliament expressed their hope that their proposals during the session would receive the necessary attention and contribute to preparing a conscious Emirati media generation that possesses the skills, values, and identity capable of representing the UAE in the media efficiently and competently.

Her Excellency Al Reem Bint Abdullah Al Falasi, Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, said that the slogan of this year’s Emirati Children’s Day, “The Right to Digital Knowledge,” aims to enhance awareness of the importance of protecting the child’s right to knowledge through modern means, which have today become one of the characteristics and necessities of the age, pointing out in this context that digital means have today become a major channel that cannot be dispensed with in accessing information, following it up, researching its details, benefiting from its positives, and avoiding any negatives that may result from it. Or harmful.

She added that digital life and the virtual world have become an integral part of the reality of today’s children, which carries with it many positives, and also entails many risks, especially for children who, due to their young age and limited experience, are unable to clearly distinguish between positive and negative, which requires all concerned authorities to reach an approach that allows them to benefit from the right to digital knowledge, and at the same time protects them from harmful contents that may harm them on the psychological, mental and physical levels.

Al Falasi stressed that the celebrations of Emirati Children’s Day 2026 will include the announcement of many initiatives in cooperation with strategic partners and official and societal bodies, regardless of their diversity and diversity, to ensure the right of the children of the Emirates to access digital information in a safe and healthy manner, and to deal with artificial intelligence and contribute to its development and harnessing for the benefit of the nation, society, and humanity, and in a way that contributes to raising generations capable of dealing with modern technology and proficient in the digital field, competing at the regional and global levels and bearing the burden. The torch of renaissance, progress and development, so that the UAE will always remain among the ranks of pioneers at all levels and in all fields.

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