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.