Dubai: A legislative framework will govern humanitarian activities in the UAE and charity work done by corporate houses will be monitored, it was announced during a retreat on Year of Giving attended by around 100 ministers and officials here Wednesday.
During the retreat held at Dubai Arabian Horse Stud, a national strategy consisting of various humanitarian initiatives was announced by six ministers.
“With the generosity of citizens, the Year of Giving, launched under the directives of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, will consolidate our position as a nation and people, especially as we are the most generous nation globally,” said His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who attended the discussions.
“The Year of Giving will be eventful, and everyone will be part of the process for consolidating a culture of giving in our generous nation,” he added, and pointed out that Year of Giving is considered the largest national gathering to create a long-term strategy for charitable work. He expressed his pride with the notable response of the Emirati community with the hashtag #theYearOfGiving, which he launched on his social media accounts. During the retreat, six ministers presented their plans.
Speaking at the retreat, Mohammad Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, said there is a need to create a legislative framework for humanitarian and charity work. While the UAE currently has more than 200,000 registered volunteers, Al Gergawi said the initiatives aim to increase that number and establish a regulatory institution that can monitor the number of hours volunteered by each individual in companies.
“We will introduce an integrated legislative system with a clear framework for Corporate Social Responsibility and Volunteering, both at institutional and individual levels. We will provide volunteers with incentives and a comprehensive framework for volunteering to document and reward their initiatives and efforts… Many young people want to volunteer, but are missing incentive programmes and clear guidance in order to be motivated to start volunteering.”
