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The UAE Cabinet, chaired by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, launched a national campaign entitled: ‘Cohesive Family 2021’, to strengthen family ties and endorse the family’s core role in preserving the identity and culture of society.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid pointed out that President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has stressed that family cohesion is a national area of focus in the UAE. His Highness also added that families are a key priority for all government projects, strategies and policies related to various sectors.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said, "We aim to be among the best countries in the world, and this can only be achieved by strengthening families which form the nucleus of society. Cohesive families constitute the most definitive path to a strong community."

His Highness also said, "We need to show the world the true image of the Emirati community that fully embraces the country’s values and principles, and celebrates its traditions and original identity."

‘Cohesive Family 2021’ is one of the main pillars of the National Programme for Government Communication, NPGC, guided by the National Agenda and UAE Vision 2021. The campaign will introduce several initiatives and design a number of cultural activities and events under its umbrella, ‘The Family Pledge’ being the most important among them.

His Highness called upon all members of society, of all ages and walks of life, to interact with the campaign, and sign the "Family Pledge" through the

link:http://www.cohesivefamilies2021.ae and share it by using the hashtag #CohesiveFamilies2021 as a token of strengthening family ties in Emirati society.

Led by a dedicated team, and headed by the Ministry of Community Development, the campaign will apply innovative methods to involve all community members, such as parents, to encourage them to sign the ‘The Family Pledge’ along with their children at their schools. It will also organise awareness activities, and engage social media influencers in order to create an effective communication platform with the public to achieve the goals of the National Programme for Government Communication that will be covering the national campaign, as well as supporting the strategies of the Federal government, and the UAE National Agenda.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet endorsed the decision to establish a higher Sharia Authority in the UAE to set the rules, standards, and principles of financial activities, and banking transactions. The authority will be responsible for supervising the internal Sharia monitoring committees of banks and financial institutions in light of Islamic Sharia provisions and requirements.

The Central Bank of the UAE will be responsible for restructuring the new authority’s core system, and selecting its members. The authority will help make the UAE an international centre of Islamic finance and Islamic economy in line with the UAE vision to be among the best countries by 2021.

The Cabinet also adopted the Mandatory Standard Specifications for the United Arab Emirates’ sectors of food, electricity and electronics in order to stay in line with the latest international standards and technologies. The standards are aimed at improving the quality of products and strengthening the national economy in the sectors of industry and trade.

The Cabinet approved as well the restructuring of the Board of Directors of the General Pension and Social Security Authority, chaired by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance. The Cabinet also approved an amendment to the formation of the board of directors of Al Etihad Credit Bureau, and the Emirates Development Bank.

At the international level, the Cabinet approved the setting up of a UAE embassy in the capital of the Republic of Panama. The Cabinet also approved and signed a number of agreements, including the amendment of four agreements related to air services between the UAE and the Dominican Republic, the Republic of South Sudan, the Republic of Slovenia, and the Republic of Costa Rica.

The Cabinet also approved an economic cooperation agreement with the government of the Republic of Kosovo, as well as with the Republic of Mozambique. It endorsed an agreement with South Africa on the avoidance of double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income, and ratified an agreement with Romania on mutual visa exemption for holders of diplomatic passports.

The Cabinet gave approval to the UAE’s accession to the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances, and ratified the agreement between the UAE and the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property, an organization of ICCROM.

The UAE Cabinet held its meeting at the Presidential Palace and it was attended by His Highness Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, and His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.