New york: The UAE and India have initiated discussions to enhance cooperation in developing integrated child development service models, with a particular emphasis on early childhood education, nutrition, and child participation initiatives.
According to Emirates News Agency, Al Reem Abdullah Al Falasi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, met with Shri Anil Malik, Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Child Development in India, during the first-ever International Financing Summit for Early Childhood. This summit was hosted by UNICEF in New York as part of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly.
The discussions aimed at leveraging both countries’ experiences in improving the quality of early childhood education. This includes the exchange of curricula and educational tools. Both sides also reviewed potential cooperation in early nutrition through programs supporting breastfeeding and complementary feeding. A joint project to measure the impact of nutritional interventions on child growth was also considered.
The conversations further included the possibility of producing a joint report on the state of childhood as a model of South-South cooperation. Initiatives to promote child participation through child parliaments were also discussed, with potential joint activities between the Emirati Children’s Parliament and Indian child parliaments, including digital dialogues focused on education, environment, and digital safety.
Al Falasi highlighted the importance of early investment in children for securing the nation’s future. She mentioned the UAE’s achievements in reducing under-five mortality to approximately five per 1,000 live births, achieving 96 percent immunization coverage, and increasing early education enrollment in Dubai by 16 percent.
She also emphasized key initiatives such as the 2024 Fatima bint Mubarak Forum on Mental Health and the ‘I Support My Friends’ training program in collaboration with UNICEF. Al Falasi noted that the Council, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and under the directives of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, has expanded efforts to protect and empower children across the UAE. This includes the launch of a nationwide school anti-bullying program in 2016, which has benefited over 240,000 students and significantly reduced bullying rates.