SHARJAH // The UAE, along with the UN and other aid agencies, has pledged to protect the well-being of refugee children.
The commitment included registering and documenting refugee children’s births, ensuring their rights to family unity and quality education, and safeguarding them against violence, abuse and use in child labour.
The Sharjah principles, an affirmation of existing principles for protection of refugee children, was announced by the UN at the end of a two-day summit in the emirate.
“The best protection that can be given to a child is not to allow that child to become a refugee,” said Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
“We have seen Syria, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, but we still see Afghanistan, Somalia …
“Palestinian refugees is the longest protracted refugee situation in the world.
“Old conflicts never die and new conflicts multiply.
“In every conflict nobody wins, everybody loses. It is the responsibility of leaders to avoid conflicts and find timely solutions.”
The conference was hosted by the UNHCR and its Eminent Advocate, Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, founder of the Big Heart Campaign for Syrian children.
Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Culture, Youth and Social Development, said: “Everyone must know that youth refugees are in dire need of special protection.
“Our role is to protect and empower them and I hope this conference does that.”
Mr Guterres called all countries to open borders and accept refugees.
“I believe it is in the interest of the whole world to give massive international support not just to refugees but also to countries that host them,” he said.
“The protection of Syrian refugees is a common responsibility of the international community and they should understand that to do it is the question of generosity but also a question of self interest.”
Najla Al Kaabi, assistant under-secretary from the Ministry of International Cooperation and Development, said the ministry had been created to further the “UAE’s rich heritage of providing further aid”.
“We are responsible to develop and review the policies that will define our humanitarian work and that dictates our response to crises and refugees,” said Ms Al Kaabi, at the panel on partnering for protection of refugee children.
“We work with the UK in some refugee camps. We also have collaborations with Canada, Japan and Korea. In the UAE, aid isn’t a service delivery. It is a comprehensive relationship that will maximise impact.”
She said governments should give the private sector an opportunity to work in humanitarian crises.
“Partnership should adapt to the evolving surroundings and circumstances,” Ms Al Kaabi said. “Nobody knew the Syrian crisis will reach this point or where it will reach further. The region has changed and the response has to change.
“Governments should give the private sector more space to operate and their innovation and ideas will be vital.”
Education could have a life altering impact on a refugee child as well as their community, said Tariq Al Gurg, chief executive of Dubai Cares, a philanthropic organisation that has helped to provide aid to 10 million children in 35 developing countries.
“Without access to education these children will constantly suffer from the after effects of the chaos with no recourse to a better life,” Mr Al Gurg said.
“With education, we are opening doors that will enable them to view the world differently and explore various opportunities for advancement.”
The conference was attended by Queen Rania of Jordan, whose country is hosting about 1 million Syrian refugees.
Also present were more than 300 representatives from aid agencies, refugee host country governments, UAE departments and humanitarian workers.
pkannan@thenational.ae