Youth must get involved in social issues, FNC minister tells Ajman students

Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of of State for Federal National Council Affairs, gives a lecture at Ajman University on Sunday. Courtesy Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs

AJMAN // It is essential that the youth engage with social issues and express their views, said the Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs.

In her lecture on Sunday to students at Ajman University, Noura Al Kaabi said the political participation of young people was of paramount importance.

An appropriate environment must be created to encourage more Emiratis, from an early age, to get involved in matters that affect the country, she said.

“The UAE has always invested in its youth, and strived to educate them and open up opportunities for them to play a critical role in the social, political and economic development of their nation,” Ms Al Kaabi said.

“Citizens must be educated and empowered enough to play an effective role in crafting plans and strategies for the future of the UAE.”

She said that the latest FNC elections were an important benchmark in the political development and modernisation efforts of the country. They were also important because they increased the number of Emirati women taking part in the political process and the number of young people represented in the advisory body, she said.

The minister also spoke about increasing Emiratis’ political awareness and how government bodies were not the only ones responsible for spreading information about local politics.

“It is also the responsibility of universities, schools, students, citizens and the members of the FNC,” she said.

“And the thing that helps in spreading political awareness is increasing the political participation through electoral bodies and seminars and the interaction of the public with them.

“Also, the role of students lies in searching, reading and participating – even at their houses through discussions with their parents.”

Ms Al Kaabi said the political empowerment of Emiratis was a steady path that accorded with the social, political, cultural and economic values of the UAE.

“This path contributed to building a successful parliamentary experience,” she said.

The FNC elections in 2006, 2011 and 2015 were important experiments and steps to increase Emiratis’ political participation, as well as being a means to develop the form that elections should take, said Ms Al Kaabi.

“The number of voters in the FNC elections in 2006 was 6,595, compared with 135,308 voters in 2011. That showed a development and expansion in the political participation of Emiratis in the elections and an increase in the number of electoral bodies’ members,” she said.

“In addition, in 2015 we witnessed an increase in the number of members of electoral bodies in each emirate, whereas the voter number was 224,281, which means a 66 per cent increase compared to 2011. And there were 330 candidates, among them 74 women.”

The minister said that Emiratis should know about their rights, duties and the constitution of the UAE. They should share the information with others in an accurate manner, she added.