UAE marks World Children's Day with child abuse prevention conference

With November 20 recognised as a day revolving around children, the Arab Regional conference is under way in Dubai

For the past 63 years, the UN has recognised November 20 as World Children's Day to bring awareness as to the issues facing kids around the globe. Zacharias Abubeker / AFP

With Monday marking World Children’s Day, the UAE is holding a series of events on a day “for children, by children”.

Dubai is hosting the fifth Arab Regional Conference on the prevention of child abuse and neglect, covering topics such as legislation, maltreatment, workforce training and research. An awareness campaign about the common threats children face online will also be launched at a number of schools in the city.

In Abu Dhabi, Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak noted the UAE’s commitment to all United Nations treaties related to the rights of children and called on the international community to “assume its responsibilities towards children and shield them from torments of wars and disasters through providing health care, education and social stability and to create projects and develop policies which enable them to live in peace and security, for children are our future generation.”

The chairwoman of the General Women's Union, president of The Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation is also set to speak at a conference on internet addiction, with a particular focus on the dangers facing young people.

Measures to improve education for children in emergencies will also be discussed at an event to mark the day as part of the Emirates Diplomatic Academy’s humanitarian week.

For more than six decades, the UN has marked November 20 as the day to help save children’s lives, fight for their rights and help them fulfil their potential. Popular search engine, Google, has joined on board devoting its Google Doodle — or the temporary design of the logo on the site’s home page intended to highlight special events.

The UAE’s doodle will be the same as the design that appears for users in Canada, the United Kingdom, Greece, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Oman and northern Africa. The UN Children’s Fund (Unicef) is promoting its social media hashtag, #KidsTakeOver, to draw awareness to issues children face around the world.

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