Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad reorganises Supreme Council for Family Affairs in Sharjah
Scope of goals, chairperson’s duties and affiliations covered by new Emiri Decree
Sharjah: His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, has issued an Emiri Decree on the reorganisation of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA) in the emirate of Sharjah.
The Emiri Decree No. 6 of 2022 stipulated that the SCFA enjoys legal personality and full capacity to carry out the legal actions necessary to achieve its goals and exercise its competencies, with its financial, administrative and technical independence. According to the decree, the Council’s headquarters will be in the city of Sharjah, and it is permissible by a decision of the Council, at the request of the Chairperson, to establish branches for it in the rest of the cities and regions of the emirate.
Scope of goals
As per the decree, the SCFA aims to achieve its various goals, including working on serving family issues and raising the level of community development in the emirate; strengthening the status of the family, with ensuring its stability and security; spreading awareness of the importance of maintaining the safety of children, and ensuring to promote their protection, with achieving social stability for them; enhancing the role of cultural and media means to raise awareness of the family and society; as well as improving the health and social conditions through community-based initiatives.
In order to duly achieve its objectives, the Council shall exercise a number of competences.
Being affiliated to the Council, the following specialised bodies operate under its supervision, including the Department of Family Development and its branches; the Health Promotion Department (HPD) and the specialised agencies affiliated with it; the Child safety management; the Cultural and Media Office. Cny other specialised agencies affiliated to the Council are issued by a decision of the Chairperson, and it is also permissible to merge or cancel any of these specialised agencies by a decision of the Chairperson, who may issue a decision to organise the specialised bodies affiliated to the council, with specifying their competencies.
The decree stipulated that the Supreme Council for Family Affairs shall be chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, the wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, assisted by a vice-chairperson and a general-secretariat appointed by a decision of the Chairperson. In order to carry out its administrative tasks, the Council shall exercise a number of different competences.
Chairperson’s duties
The Chairperson shall assume in particular the following duties and powers; adopting the general policy and strategic plans for the work of the Council; approving the plans and programmes of the specialised authorities and issuing the necessary directives required for that; approving the appointment of directors of specialised agencies and senior staff of the Council; in addition to delegating some of the powers to senior officials in the Council in accordance with the legislation in effect in the Emirate.
According to the decree, the council will have a general secretariat that organises and coordinates the council’s tasks; ensures the achievement of its objectives; and follow-up on its decisions until its full implementation. The head of the Secretariat shall be appointed by a decision of the Chairperson, determining the financial and job rank, with adequate staffing of administrative and technical staff, with having the necessary powers and authorities to achieve a number of objectives of the General Secretariat.
The decree also included a number of legal articles regulating the work of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs in terms of financial resources, organisational structure, and others.