UAE's Commitment to Protecting Children's Rights: Examining the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Wadi-mah Law

 The UAE has made significant domestic and international efforts to protect children's rights. In 1996, the country ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which affirms all children's basic human rights, including the right to life, survival, development, education, and protection from abuse and exploitation. The UAE has also passed Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 on Children's Rights, also known as the "Wadi-mah Law," which establishes a comprehensive legal framework for the protection of children's rights in the country. 

The Wadi-mah Law guarantees all of the rights and freedoms enshrined in international law, and the UAE is committed to providing all opportunities to strengthen child protection. The law expressly prohibits child labor, with the UAE Federal Labor Law prohibiting the employment of minors of both sexes under the age of fifteen. In accordance with the Constitution and the Federal Compulsory Education Act, the state also provides free education to citizens in schools, colleges, and universities. 

The UAE has established a number of institutions and initiatives aimed at protecting children's rights and safety. In 2009, the Higher Committee for Child Protection was formed to oversee and coordinate efforts to protect children from neglect, exploitation, abuse, and violence. 

In addition, the UAE has launched a number of campaigns and strategies to raise community awareness of children's rights and to protect them from abuse and exploitation. The Ministry of Interior's "Together to Prevent Child Abuse" campaign aims to raise awareness of the importance of child protection and encourage the reporting of abuse cases. Motherhood and Childhood Supreme Council