Abu Dhabi: The members of the Federal National Council (FNC) should act as a link between the government and citizens, said His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
His remarks were made during the opening speech at the inaugural session of the Second Ordinary Session of the 16th Legislative Chapter of the Federal National Council (FNC) on Sunday.
Shaikh Mohammad, while speaking on behalf of Shaikh Khalifa, also praised the UAE Armed Forces’ acts of heroism, embodied in their national achievements.
Wishing the FNC members luck in serving the homeland, Shaikh Mohammad called on them to be committed to their national duty and serve their country and their community.
“We look forward to strengthening the parliamentary experience with our people and consolidating and strengthening our Federation,” said Shaikh Mohammad. “We are proud of government officials and members of the Federal National Council and thousands of loyal soldiers, working as a team to achieve a decent living for our people,” added Shaikh Mohammad while addressing the opening ceremony.
The ceremony was held under the patronage of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
“We take this opportunity on this platform to salute our faithful martyrs and thousands of our dedicated work teams who work along with government officials and FNC members. We also salute all those who work as one team to serve the nation, its flag and constitution,” he added.
After the rendition of the UAE national anthem, Shaikh Mohammad inspected the Guard of Honour.
Dr Amal Al Qubaisi, FNC Speaker, said all of us need to work closely and cooperate with the government to deal with the changes that surround us, and new challenges for our society and our state.
“In this context, we call on the Cabinet to set up a joint committee between the FNC and the government to discuss the consequences of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) passed by the US Congress and negative repercussions that are particular to the weakening of the sovereign immunity of all states,” Dr Al Qubaisi said.
Dr Al Qubaisi added that the discussion of the legislative options and supporting policies towards the repercussions of that law must be done hand in hand and joint committees of this nature help deal with these challenges together.
The law allows American citizens to sue foreign governments in US federal courts for the actions of their citizens, which opens up the US globally for other governments to adopt similar legislation. This way, Washington could see a proliferation of lawsuits in courts around the world, which will not only impact the US government but also American businesses operating globally.
“The FNC is a key pillar in the political empowerment programme launched by Shaikh Khalifa. The programme ensures that citizens are our partners in sharing national responsibility,” she said.
“The opening of the FNC’s second session coincides with our national occasions, starting with the UAE Flag Day during a time in which UAE leaders and people exemplify the most genuine image of solidarity and unity between people and leadership. We take this opportunity to pay rich tribute to the souls of our martyrs who sacrificed their lives to protect UAE values,” added Al Qubaisi.
“At a time during which some nations are seeking security by building barriers that distance them from others, the UAE is extending bridges of tolerance and intercultural exchange that are far from sentiments of hatred that fuel flames of conflict around us. Meanwhile, our leadership is investing in happiness and investing in its people to usher in an even better future,” she said.
FNC Strategy 2016-2019
Later, the FNC strategy 2016-2019 was launched. A video presentation was shown, highlighting the elements of the strategy’s plan, general framework, directives, strategic enablers, initiatives and projects.
Al Qubaisi said that the strategic plan depends on strengthening cooperation and coordination between government bodies, and supporting efforts aiming to achieve the UAE’s general policies and national vision, as well as bolstering social cohesion. The strategy aims to support the engagement of citizens in FNC activities, express their ideas about national issues and develop the legislative and control performance of the FNC.
The meeting of the session began by electing Jasem Al Naqbi, a member from Sharjah, and Khalifa Al Mazroui as observers.
During the meeting, the council reviewed three proposals submitted for approval by Noora Mohammad Al Kaabi, Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs, on various topics.
The council also reviewed three draft laws submitted by the government. The first one relates to approving unified closing accounts for independent bodies for the financial year ended 2015; the second is a federal draft law on anti-dumping and countervailing and safeguard measures and the third is on using remote communication technology in criminal procedures.
Some policies approved by the Cabinet were also be discussed in the meeting. The policies include those from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Interior’s policy pertaining to Civil Defence, among others.
The FNC is one of the UAE’s five federal authorities, as established by the Constitution. Its first session was opened on December 2, 1972. The FNC’s official mandate is to provide for public debate of legislation. The FNC discusses proposals and plans of various federal ministries, entities and public institutions.
There are 40 members of the FNC, apportioned among the UAE’s seven emirates, with eight seats each for Abu Dhabi and Dubai, six seats each for Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah and four seats each for Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah.
