Ajman, UAE – 20 June 2023 – As part of its ongoing efforts to raise political awareness among all segments of the community, the Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs (MFNCA) has organised a lecture titled ‘The Culture of Political Participation: The Political Empowerment Programme in the UAE’, held as part of the sixth edition of the Neighbourhood Majlis Initiative at the Ameen Al Shurafa Hall in Ajman.
The lecture was delivered by Dr. Ahmed Al Mansoori, expert in law and international relations, and discussed the culture of political participation and the empowerment journey adopted by our wise leadership, in an effort to empower UAE citizens to actively participate in the national decision-making process. The talk also highlighted the key stages and achievements of the Political Empowerment Programme, launched by the late Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and its role in promoting the values of genuine participation and strengthening the ‘Shura’ approach, using a progressive and systematic method to engage citizens.
Dr. Al Mansoori asserted that political participation is a deeply rooted practice and a cherished value in the UAE’s cultural heritage; the Emirates prioritises empowering citizens to participate in the development process across social, political, and economic sectors.
Moreover, the lecture highlighted the UAE’s successful and distinctive parliamentary experience, as well as the vital role of the Federal National Council (FNC) and the achievements made in the previous four terms of the FNC elections, which helped further advance parliamentary work in the country.
“The Political Empowerment Programme reaffirms the role of the Federal National Council and empowers it to be a supporting and advisory body for the executive authority, as it strives to enhance the Council’s effectiveness and align it more closely with the issues that matter most to the country and its citizens,” said Dr. Al Mansoori.
“In line with the vision of its wise leadership, the UAE is steadily advancing its parliamentary work by enhancing the FNC’s role in the community,” he added. “This has significantly improved the performance of key sectors in the UAE, further enabling citizens to actively choose their representatives in the Federal National Council during the previous election cycles, underlining their awareness of the Council’s important role in voicing citizens’ concerns and aspirations to decision-makers, finding solutions to the challenges they face, and improving their quality of life.”
The speaker went on to stress that the FNC elections are one of the most significant outcomes of the Political Empowerment Programme, noting that the previous four cycles serve as important milestones in the UAE’s political development and progress. Dr. Al Mansoori emphasised that the upcoming 2023 election cycle is a continuation of the excellence the UAE has achieved so far in parliamentary work, and establishes a foundation for cooperation and integration between the government and the Federal National Council to serve the interests of the nation and its citizens.