Under the patronage of HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union (GWU), Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF) and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood is convening an experts meeting on 10th and 11th February at Viceroy Yas, Abu Dhabi. The meeting is headed by Princess Sarah Zeid of Jordan and organised by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The meeting will focus specifically on reproductive, maternal, new-born and adolescent health in humanitarian crises. Its purpose is to formulate policy recommendations for incorporation in the next global strategy for the United Nations Secretary General's "Every Woman Every Child" initiative.
With 2015 marking the last year of implementation of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the gathered international experts will take stock of lessons learned under the MDGs as these relate to the health and wellbeing of women, new-borns, children and adolescents. Bringing together both development and humanitarian experts, the meeting will also discuss how the new post-2015 development agenda, and its "Sustainable Development Goals" (SDGs), can best strengthen resilience, response and recovery for communities and individuals that are affected by emergencies, conflict and disasters.
The meeting's conclusions will lead to recommendations for integration into the next iteration of the UNSG's "Every Woman Every Child" initiative, a global and multi-sector platform encouraging focused and cooperative delivery of support for the eradication of preventable maternal and child mortality in all settings, including in humanitarian contexts.
HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak stated in a speech delivered on her behalf by Reem Al Falasy, Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, "we have witnessed a number of severe humanitarian situations in the last 15 years that challenge us to re-think our approach to aid and development. The UAE's founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, consistently and passionately supported efforts by the country's women to play a full role as partners in society, contributing not just at home, but overseas. We are committed to helping and supporting women who need access to quality maternal health care that can help save their lives and their babies', wherever they are. We are committed to the health and welfare of new-borns, children and adolescents and we know this means providing them with quality services in all circumstances, so that they may grow into healthy adults." UN agencies, governments, the private sector, academia, civil society and philanthropists are coming to these vital discussions for the purpose of also reviewing how they may better work together with national entities, such as the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.
"Our aim is to identify how we can improve and redouble our efforts so that our support and interventions are better adapted to the new realities of protracted humanitarian situations, the upsurge in conflicts in several regions, and increasingly limited levels of overseas development aid, largely caused by the global economic downturn of the last few years," said Princess Sarah Zeid, noting that "these regrettable developments are bringing an untenable impact on the lives of those who can least afford it – namely mothers, new-borns, children and adolescents." In her turn, the Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood Her Excellency Reem Al Falasy said "these experts from around the world are coming to the UAE to discuss what concrete action should be taken in the future to better enhance the resilience of women, children and adolescents in the face of dire circumstances. In doing so, we seek to strike a better balance between an emergency approach that responds to urgent needs, and longer term investment that can contribute to sustainable development. That is precisely why the Every Woman Every Child initiative is so important to the world's joint efforts for the health and wellbeing of women and children, today and tomorrow."
Source: WAM