Government
Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs Organizes Session on the Achievements of the Political Empowerment Programme in the 2019 Elections
The Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs (MFNCA)
organized a lecture, broadcast live on social media platforms, to converse on the accomplishments of
the Political Empowerment Programme in the 2019 Federal National Council (FNC) Elections.
The conference is the second in a sequence of interactive remote lectures the Ministry has called to
Learn about the topic of political participation and the make-up of parliamentary procedures in the
UAE. It is part of the MFNCAs programs to improve political mindfulness amongst all
people in the community, and features His Excellency Dr Saeed Mohammed Alghufli, the
Ministrys Assistant Undersecretary of Federal National Council Affairs.
The UAEs fruitful parliamentary track record remains with the accomplishments made
during the fourth instalment of the FNC elections in 2019, which is an important breakthrough in the
Political Empowerment Programme launched in 2005 by UAE President His Highness Sheikh
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, H.E. Alghufli said, adding, The Programme sets a roadmap for
upgrading parliamentary processes in the UAE and empowering the Federal National Council to
remain close to the people and support the executive authorities.
His Excellency said that the limitless support and clear directions from the
UAEs astute leadership were the key foundations driving the triumph of the 2019 elections. Our
leaders consistently assert the need to work in agreement with best practices to attain the
best results, suitable to the progressive positions the UAE aims to in every sector, he explained.
The extraordinary and unparalleled turnout among both candidates and voters reflects the
advanced level of political mindfulness among UAE citizens, and emphasizes the role that the FNC
has come to dominate as a legislative and constitutional institution whose members are committed
to raising citizens concerns and needs to be discussed with decisions makers, H.E. Alghufli
noted.
The most notable breakthrough during the 2019 FNC elections was the decision delivered by UAE
President H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan to increase womens representation in the
Council to 50%, which reflects the UAEs persistent efforts to empower Emirati women, and
cements its status as a global leader in womens empowerment, H.E. declared.
The historic choice to enable women to occupy half of all FNC seats in the 17 th legislative
chapter has reaped praise and appreciation from around the world, placing the UAE ahead of numerous
countries and driving it to the top spots in terms of womens representation in parliament,
H.E. Alghufli stated, mentioning the fact that the UAE ranked among the top countries on the Female
Parliamentary Representation Index, part of the Government Efficiency Chapter of the IMD
World Competitiveness Yearbook 2020.
The MFNCA Undersecretary went on to note that the Political Empowerment Programme
wields a significant positive impact in the UAE, not only internally, but also benefitting the
countrys global status. The UAEs transition towards a voting procedure to engage the people in
Federal National Council elections has allowed it to gain extensive credit in global
reports on engaging the public in legislative activities, he confirmed.
The lectures can be viewed live through the social media accounts of the Ministry of State for
FNC Affairs on Instagram (mfnca) and Twitter (@mfnca), where the lecture schedule and topics
will be periodically announced.