Humaidan heads the Kingdom's delegation to the International Conference on Childhood Care and Education in Seychelles

21-02-2021

His Excellency the Minister of Labour and Social Development, Chairman of the National Childhood Committee, Mr Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, headed the Kingdom of Bahrain’s delegation participating in the Second International Biennial Conference on Early Childhood Education and Care in Victoria, Seychelles, from 21–23 February. The conference was opened by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Seychelles, Mr Danny Faure, in the presence of dignitaries from around the world. The Bahraini delegation includes Assistant Undersecretary for Community Development, Mr Khalid Abdul Rahman Al Kooheji, representing the Ministry of Labour and Social Development; Assistant Undersecretary for Special and Continuing Education, Mr Jaafar Ali Al‑Sheikh, representing the Ministry of Education; and Assistant Undersecretary for Hospitals, Dr Mohammed Amin Al‑Awadhi, representing the Ministry of Health. The conference is organised by the Seychelles Institute of Early Childhood Development and the UNESCO International Bureau of Education (IBE), with the participation of more than 250 specialists from several UN Member States, in addition to a number of childcare experts and specialised organisations. The current session of the conference will address international initiatives in early childhood care and education, as well as review the experiences and practices in this field from participating countries. The conference will emphasise the importance of managing electronic databases to enhance policies and programmes in the field of early childhood development. The speakers will focus on the challenges and difficulties facing countries worldwide in the field of child development, as well as the policies proposed to address them at the legislative, financial, and health and social protection levels. On this occasion, His Excellency the Minister of Labour and Social Development praised the royal patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the country’s great King, may God protect and preserve him, for childhood in the Kingdom of Bahrain, especially children with disabilities and orphans. He also praised the keenness of the wise government, led by His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister, and the diligent follow‑up of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, may God protect and preserve them, and its interest in protecting, caring for, developing and preserving the rights of early childhood in the Kingdom. His Excellency the Minister of Labour and Social Development stressed that the Kingdom of Bahrain is considered one of the leading countries in guaranteeing children’s rights, through the issuance of many laws regulating the guarantee of children’s rights, which are represented in the laws of education, health, labour, juveniles, and family custody, especially the enactment of Child Law No. 37 of 2012, which has become the primary reference for all legislation related to children and the protection of their rights, as well as the Restorative Justice Law, which guarantees the protection of children from abuse, and legal and legislative measures are currently being taken to implement it soon. Humaidan also emphasised that Bahrain has taken pioneering steps in the field of child protection and care through a number of initiatives and measures, most notably the establishment of the Child Protection Centre, the allocation of a toll‑free hotline to assist and support children, and the formation of a juvenile court that takes into account children’s privacy. He noted the Kingdom’s commitment to providing advanced free education and high‑quality health services to all children without discrimination. On the sidelines of the conference, His Excellency the Minister of Labour and Social Development met with His Excellency the Vice President of the friendly Republic of Seychelles, where he conveyed to him the greetings of His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister, may God protect him, and his appreciation and gratitude for the invitation of the Kingdom of Bahrain to participate in the conference. His Excellency expressed his interest in listening to the Kingdom of Bahrain’s experience and pioneering initiatives in the field of child protection, in addition to his country’s government’s desire to enhance co‑operation in this field with the Kingdom. In the same context, Humaidan held several meetings with the heads of delegations participating in the conference, and briefed his counterparts on Bahrain’s most prominent achievements in the field of child protection and development. Many of the participating delegations praised the Kingdom’s achievements in the field of child protection, care, and development, and expressed their desire to enhance co‑operation with Bahrain and open new horizons for exchanging expertise and successful experiences in this vital field, in a desire to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations.