Khalifa issues law on child protection

President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued a federal law regarding the welfare of abandoned children. Federal Law No. 1 of 2012 aims to regulate the welfare of abandoned children in the UAE by setting up and developing the rules of sponsorship enabling a sponsor family to provide the health, psychological, social and educational care for the children. The law will also ensure that civil rights are provided for these children, as well as protecting their personal life and right to personal safety. The law will also protect these children from being subjected to any negligence, or any inhumane treatment. The law stipulates that the Ministry of Social Affairs will coordinate with the Ministry of Interior in securing a sponsor family for the children. The family will have to meet a list of requirements before they can sponsor a child. The sponsoring family will have to enjoy a good reputation and record, and the husband and wife must not be younger than 25 years. The family must also have the financial capabilities to provide for both their own children and the sponsored child. The family will also have to sign an undertaking that they will treat the sponsored child well, and protect and raise him well.An orphanage will also be set up for abandoned children to ensure that the necessary care is provided in coordination with all specialised bodies. Mariam Al Roumi, Minister of Social Affairs, said that the law stems from the keenness of Shaikh Khalifa and federal government, under the leadership of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to protect the rights of any abandoned child and raising them to be productive members of society. “The law is a positive step in strengthening humanitarian values in our society. The move comes at a time in which the UAE has adopted a social plan that supports Emirati families, creates an ideal social fabric and provides a safe and balanced environment for this segment of society to raise them into responsible and productive members of society,” said Al Roumi. “The law aims to regulate the welfare of abandoned children in a socially appropriate way that protects their rights and emphasises the duties and responsibilities of the sponsoring family in providing and securing them with good means of life, and a good and Islamic upbringing,” she added. Al Roumi pointed out that the law does not annul the right of the original parents to the sponsored child. The parents will be able to take back the child once a court ruling is issued and the DNA tests are finalized. The child will then be registered under the name of the original parents as per the current legal procedures in the UAE. The law also specifies procedures that must be taken when an abandoned child is found. The person who found the child will have to inform the closest police station, so the child can be officially admitted into a healthcare centre to carry out the necessary tests. The Public Prosecution will be responsible for transferring the child to an orphanage by coordinating with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Ministry of Interior to provide a name, father’s name, grandfather name and surname for the child. The orphanage will then register the child in accordance with current laws in the UAE.from gulfnews.com