Sharjah 24: In a democratic atmosphere, Bahraini girl Retaj Al Abbasi won as speaker of the Arab Parliament for Child (APC) in its second session, while Tunisian Kazem bin Ali Al Shahbani won the position of first deputy speaker of parliament, and Kuwaiti Ghala Abdullah Al Mutairi won the position of second deputy speaker.
To avoid the effects of COVID-19, the General Secretariat of the Arab Parliament for the Child (APC), based in the Emirate of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, has prepared all means of success for the convention of the second session of APC through a virtual conference, and voting took place virtually in the session held on Saturday evening and supervised by the Arab League.
62 children from 17 Arab countries attended the session, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Libya, Morocco, Djibouti, and Sudan.
The session began with a speech by Ayman Othman Al Barout, Secretary-General of the Arab Parliament for the Child; he welcomed the members of Parliament, saying: "My sons and daughters, members of the Arab Parliament for the Child, our honourable guests, peace, mercy, and blessings of God Almighty be upon you, from the United Arab Emirates, and from the Emirate of Sharjah. We, the United Arab Emirates, and the Emirate of Sharjah, the permanent headquarter of the Arab Parliament for the Child, welcome you to the second session of the Arab Parliament for the Child, which is held virtually, taking into account the precautionary and preventive measures of the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. We pray to God Almighty for everyone's health and well-being.”
“On the occasion of the convening of the second session of the Arab Parliament for the Child, I am honoured to deliver to you the blessings of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohamed Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah,” Al Barout continued.
Following the elections, Al Barout thanked the winners, and the Committee on the Rights of the Child, which is composed of 15 members from various Arab countries, as well as the Activities and Events Committee, were chosen, with a subsequent meeting to choose a leader for each committee to follow.
Retaj Al Abbasi, Speaker of the Arab Parliament for the Child, expressed her delight at the members' confidence in her, emphasising that she will work hard to serve Arab children, so that Parliament becomes the voice and of childhood.
She remarked in her speech, "I am glad to convey to you my heartfelt gratitude for giving me your priceless confidence and for being elected Speaker of the Arab Parliament for the Child's second session."
“I'd like to express my gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, for His Highness’s tremendous support for the Arab Parliament for the Child. I also express my gratitude to the League of Arab States and its Secretary-General, His Excellency Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and I guarantee to you that I will put out every effort in this new session to ensure the future of the Arab child and to ensure that their voice is heard with complete openness and clarity”
Tunisian First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Kazem bin Ali Al Shahbani joined her, highlighting the importance of united efforts to work in accordance with the parliament's founding system and achieve its goals in improving the reality of childhood in all Arab nations and discussing its challenges.
According to Kuwaiti Ghala Abdullah Al Mutairi, Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, the coming period represents an important stage that will necessitate continuous work to address all issues of concern to the Arab child and find solutions for them.
For an optimal experience, please
