ABU DHABI, 15th September, 2026 (WAM) -- Shamma bint Suhail bin Faris Al Mazrui, Minister of Community Empowerment, received Dr. Salem Suhail Al Neyadi, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Institution (NHRI), and the accompanying delegation to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation and coordination in support of national efforts to establish an integrated framework for community empowerment and the advancement of human rights.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed opportunities to build a strategic partnership and develop avenues of cooperation on matters related to empowering members of society, enhancing community participation, and supporting the role of public benefit organisations. They also exchanged expertise and perspectives on policies and initiatives that contribute to improving quality of life and reinforcing societal values.
Both sides emphasised the importance of expanding areas of strategic cooperation and exchanging knowledge and expertise in ways that strengthen integration between governmental, institutional and community roles. They also highlighted the importance of developing initiatives and programmes that respond to the needs of society and promote an approach based on participation and engagement with its various groups and institutions.
The meeting addressed the role of the NHRI, in accordance with the Paris Principles relating to national human rights institutions, in promoting and protecting human rights, providing proposals, recommendations and advisory opinions to government entities, and following up on matters that contribute to advancing the human rights framework in the UAE.
The two sides also underscored the NHRI’s developmental role in strengthening channels of communication and coordination between government entities and public benefit organisations, including public benefit associations, and in drawing on their expertise and feedback to develop policies and practices related to community empowerment and human rights. This is in line with the NHRI’s mandate, which includes contributing to the development of national action plans and promoting a culture of human rights.
Shamma bint Suhail Al Mazrui said that strengthening the partnership with the National Human Rights Institution represents an extension of the UAE’s approach to building an integrated community ecosystem in which government entities and public benefit organisations work together to empower members of society, respond to their aspirations, and translate human rights into practices and opportunities that keep pace with the country’s national development journey.
For his part, Dr. Salem Suhail Al Neyadi affirmed that the partnership with the Ministry of Community Empowerment opens broader horizons for leveraging human rights expertise to support community empowerment, develop policies and practices, and strengthen channels of communication with public benefit organisations, thereby contributing to the development of a society that is more engaged and more aware of its rights and responsibilities.
The meeting reflects the commitment of both sides to advancing their cooperation from coordination to a more integrated institutional partnership, contributing to the development of impactful initiatives that place people, their empowerment and the advancement of their rights at the heart of national efforts and the UAE’s development journey.