KHAWLA AL MULLA: ARAB CHILDREN’S PARLIAMENT TO ENSURE BETTER FUTURE OF ARAB REGION 

Arab League Secretary General Aboul Gheit receives Sharjah delegation, Hails Sharjah Ruler’s Initiative 

Sharjah, UAE, August 27, 2016:  Sharjah has finalised arrangements to host the seat of Arab Children’s Parliament in the Emirate from this year. HE Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General of Arab League on Thursday received HE Khawla Al Mulla, Chairperson of the Sharjah Consultative Council and Head of the Organising Committee to Set up the Arab Children’s Parliament, and other members of the committee in Cairo. Also present on the occasion were HE Juma Mubarak Al Junaibi, UAE Ambassador to Cairo and permanent representative to Arab League HE Ahmed Mohammed Al Jarwan, Deputy Chairman of the Committee and HE Mansour Bin Nassar, Adviser, HE Ahmed Saeed Jarwan and other members of the Committee. 

Speaking on the occasion, Khawla Al Mulla said she discussed with the Secretary-General of the Arab League the arrangements necessary for the establishment of the Parliament, which is to be hosted by Sharjah as an initiative by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.

She handed the Secretary-General a letter from His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, highlighting the responsibilities of the Committee and what the Emirate expects by hosting such a parliament.

The Secretary-General welcomed the establishment of Arab Children’s Parliament in Sharjah, vowing to offer every possible help.

Hossam Zaki, Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League, stressed that the establishment of Arab Children’s Parliament is part of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, and that it is good for the Arab region to establish a parliament for Arab children following the establishment of the Arab Parliament, especially in light of the difficulties faced by children in the region.

He praised this initiative of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, emphasising that the creation of an Arab parliament for children is a good move that encourages the participation of children in discussions and decision-making and teaches them from the beginning how to build a democracy in their societies.
This is the first time this Arab League institution will be based outside Egypt and in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates and is being viewed as yet another feather in the Emirate’s cap.    

In July, His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, issued an administrative decree, forming a committee to oversee the arrangements to host the seat of the Arab Children's Parliament in Sharjah and appointing the SCC Chairperson as its head.  While the independent committee is headed by Khawla Al Mulla, Ahmed Mohammed Al Jarwan, Speaker of the Arab Parliament, would serve as deputy chairperson of the new committee.

With its focus on family values and children-friendly environment and facilities and infrastructure, Sharjah is ideally suited to host the Arab Children’s Parliament.  The Emirate is home to more than 12 baby-friendly health facilities, 82 mother-friendly workplaces, 28 breastfeeding-friendly nurseries, 19 mother-baby friendly public places and over 140 mother’s rooms.  

In addition to scores of neighbourhood parks, children’s play areas, and numerous other facilities, Sharjah has especially trained more than 2,000 health workers to deal with children’s issues.  More than 25,000 CMD (continuing medical education) hours have been given from the Ministry of Health in Sharjah. 

A number of brochures, booklets and leaflets have been produced and distributed by the Sharjah Baby Friendly Committee (SBF) as part of its awareness and education campaign.  It attended more than 20 national and international events, exhibitions and conferences. Thanks to the Emirate’s concerted campaign, breastfeeding percentage has risen to more than 40% in Sharjah city and artificial feeding percentage has dropped to 36%.  

The Emirate celebrated as the Cultural Capital of the Arab world is also known as a family tourism destination and every year attracts thousands of families from across the Arab world and from around the world, including Europe and Asia.