Abu Dhab: President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in his capacity as Ruler of Abu Dhabi Emirate, has issued the law number 22 of 2020, establishing Abu Dhabi Community Legal Awareness Centre, affiliated with the Abu Dhabi Judiciary Department.
The centre will raise awareness of potential risks associated with inappropriate behaviour that violates the values and principles of the UAE society, and how to respond to, prevent and mitigate its impact.
It will also monitor inappropriate behaviour including online and while using social media platforms or e-gaming.
The new Abu Dhabi Community Legal Awareness Centre, known as ‘Masouliya’, meaning ‘responsibility’ in English, will work to prevent anti-social behaviour such as bullying, defamation, inciting violence and online or gaming addiction. A first-of-its-kind in the region, the centre will focus on educating youth, parents and guardians on the negative impacts, including legal consequences, of anti-social behaviour, and encourage individual responsibility.
It will organise community awareness activities and seminars, as well as meetings with families, and develop innovative content to reach youth online to help educate them on the responsible use of digital platforms and gaming. The centre will be overseen by the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department and will help boost safety, security, social stability and family ties.
'Preventive tool'
Yousef Saeed Al Abery, Undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, said: “The centre will work as a preventive tool, with its top priority to ensure awareness among youth, parents and guardians about the legal consequences of anti-social or irresponsible behaviour, particularly on social media platforms and when gaming.”
Establishing the centre follows updates to the digital justice framework, which aims to monitor the use of social media platforms and electronic gaming to prevent inappropriate behaviour that violates community values and principles, incites defamation, animosity or violence, or leads to online or gaming addiction. The centre will use principles of ‘preventive justice’, considered a key pillar of sustainable social stability, by focusing on increasing knowledge of the law, and boosting ethical and patriotic values, particularly among youth.
