Sharjah Ruler opens first regional conference on protection of refugee children, adolescents

Sharjah (WAM): The first regional conference dedicated to the protection of refugee children and adolescents opened Wednesday under the patronage and in the presence of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. The two-day conference is hosted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, UNHCR, in partnership with the Big Heart for Syrian Refugee Children Campaign, at the invitation of H.H. Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of the Ruler of Sharjah and UNHCR Eminent Advocate for Refugee Children in recognition to the increasing number of refugee children in the region. The historic conference provides a much-needed platform for more than 300 governmental representatives, international organisation leaders, refugees, academics, and other experts from the Middle East and North Africa, MENA, region and beyond to examine the protection of refugee children and youth, exploring and highlighting concrete ways to strengthen protection systems. The opening ceremony took place in Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre in the presence of H.H. Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, HRM Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, Nabil el-Araby, Secretary- General of the League of Arab States, Antonio Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, H.H. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Advisor and Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of Sharjah Investment and Development Authority, Shurooq, sheikhs, dignitaries, VIPs and senior diplomatic and media figures from inside the U.A.E. and abroad. H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, inaugurated the conference with a powerful opening address, stressing that convening conferences on protection of and care of children and adolescents is not new, as the matter is directly related to human nature and high human values adopted by all peoples of the world, no matter how different their civilisations and identities are. "Those conferences have resulted in many international conventions, legislations and local laws which highlight the rights of children and young adults for protection from assault from all types and sources, as well as comprehensive care, especially cultural, healthcare and educational care, so that they grow up safely and contribute to the creation of the future and prosperity of their communities wherever they are," H.H Sheikh Sultan said. "Unfortunately, due to the current different and changing circumstances in many countries of the world, particularly in our region in the last few years, we find now millions of children, young adults and women in a hard tragic situation, displaced from their homes to flee from the horrors of the armed conflicts which destroy human and properties alike, as perpetrators of those conflicts ignore what all the religions call for, and what all the local laws and international conventions of human rights contain." He praised the efforts being exerted by the immediate neighbouring countries of the conflict zones, along with some other countries as well as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR, the United Nations Children’s Fund, Unicef, some concerned organisations in the League of Arab States, and some civil society organisations, each in its own field, which all hurried to establish temporary camps to provide shelter to refugees and displaced people and to provide financial and moral aids as well as some basic services in the camps. H.H. Sheikh Sultan continued, "It has been clear through the actual practices in the places of refugees and displaced people that the need is urgent to increase support and cooperation among all who participated in the provision of support and comprehensive care, especially in areas of healthcare and education inside and outside the camps, to maximise the benefit from the exerted efforts and to rehabilitate children and young adults for a better future, God willing, for themselves and their communities. We are eagerly looking forward to learn about the essence of your experiences and the recommendations of your conference in this regard". In conclusion, H.H. Sheikh Sultan expressed his hope that the discussions and discourses will lead to innovative practical recommendations that cope with the situation of our region, and help boost and support the efforts being made to protect and provide comprehensive care to displaced children and young adults who fled their homes and are living in hardship and difficult circumstances inside and outside their countries and hardships of forced displacement within the MENA region. Next, HRM Queen Rania Al Abdullah took the podium for a keynote address in which she emphasised that the refugee plight is one of the worst humanitarian disasters in modern times. She remarked, "The year 2014 has witnessed the largest human displacement; one disaster after another around the world have displaced millions of people. The number of people who left their homes exceeded fifty million for the first time since World War II, and Syria is the most affected." Going on to outline Jordan’s role in managing the refugee crisis, she explained, "There are more than one million Syrians in Jordan, out of which only 613, 000 are registered in documents and records. While Jordan is small in size, it is big in its national and humanitarian sense of responsibility. The land's blessing and the nobility and chivalry of Jordanians does not accept the humiliation, suffering and displacement of any Arab. For decades, the world has come to know very well it can rely on Jordan in difficult humanitarian crises. And the world has a major role in supporting all countries hosting refugees, because that is a guarantee of our region’s stability." She then poignantly asked the concerned audience, "Will we accept for millions of children, this generation, to grow up thinking that we saw their painful present and the void in their future, and did nothing?." "When the dust of war settles, today's children and youth will return to their home countries. To help them rebuild a stable and secure country tomorrow, we must teach them today. Education is their tool to rebuild themselves and the reconstruct their country." Dr. Nabil el-Araby, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, delivered a speech in which he expressed his sadness to discuss an issue related to the future of the entire Arab region, which is the protection of children during the time of armed conflicts and asylum seeking. He added that it is our duty today to show, for the sake of human conscience, solidarity to protect children from all kinds of violence. He pronounced, "The bloodshed in various Arab territories, including Syria, reflects deficiency in the intervention mechanisms for dealing with huge international crises, which not only threaten the future of the region, but also threaten overall international security. The scenes of deaths and fatalities in the Arab region show the wide gap between international legislations and resolutions on the one hand and practical implementation on the other hand". He hailed the efforts exerted by H.H. Sheikha Jawaher bint Sultan Al Qasimi through the Big Heart Campaign to protect Syrian refugee children and youth, and the provision of healthcare, basic relief materials, shelter and food. He also praised the efforts of UNHCR in registering the refugees and providing the human safety to them. He called for setting Arab strategy to protect refugee children, enhancing efficiency of national organisations to deal with emergencies, such as refugee and internal displacement, in addition to boosting regional and international cooperation and building partnership with the aim of protecting refugee children. Antonio Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, then delivered a speech calling attention to the fact that, "Here in the Arab world, every single minute, another child is forced to flee his or her country." He urged, "The generosity of Syria’s neighbours must be matched by much stronger international support, to allow them to address the escalating demands placed on national services and infrastructures. These needs far exceed the resources, expertise and capacities of humanitarian organisations." Mr. Guterres went on to suggest, "I hope this meeting will help expand and strengthen partnerships among governments, civil society, international organisations and the private sector, and that during our discussions we can identify specific actions to ensure refugee children and adolescents are better protected and given hope for the future." Speaking in a video message specially recorded for the conference, former UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, then expressed his deep appreciation for the work being done to champion the rights and needs of refugees by the UNHCR and Sheikha Jawaher. He said, "It gives me great pleasure to thank Sheikha Jawaher and Antonio Guterres, the High Commissioner for Refugees, for organising this important conference at this vital time, when so many young people and adults who are refugees, exiles, and displaced are in need of help from the international community. I want to give my full support to this great conference to the initiatives that are being taken." Lastly, UN Special Envoy Angelina Jolie voiced her support for the initiatives being undertaken to resolve the Syrian refugee crisis with the contribution of a short film highlighting the daily challenges being faced by refugee children, which tells the story of 11-year old Halla and her siblings living as orphaned refugees in Lebanon. In a message preceding the film, Ms. Jolie said, "It is shocking that today every second refugee in the Middle East is a child. I hope that this short film, about a little girl called Halla, will give you an insight into the challenges refugee children are facing. I hope her resilience and strength will inspire you to do all that you can, individually and collectively, to support these children in their time of need and to help restore peace to Syria." Following the opening ceremony H.H. Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi viewed the photography exhibition that accompanies the conference, which displays a number of photos and short films that narrate the suffering of Syrian refugee children inside Syria and abroad, particularly in the refugee camps. The photos were selected from the UNHCR photo archive in collaboration with the Big Heart Campaign. Throughout the historic conference participants will take part in high-level panels, roundtable discussions, and plenary sessions aimed at holding a policy forum, sharing best practices and generating a set of principles related to the protection of refugee children. A Youth Forum will run in tandem with the conference, engaging around 500 U.A.E. students in understanding the dynamics. – Emirates News Agency, WAM - http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395270922620.html