Carlo De Filippi, EU Ambassador to the UAE, yesterday presented the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children, DFWAC, with the European Union's prestigious Chaillot Special Mention Diploma for Human Rights 2014, for the work the organisation is doing to alleviate violence against women and children.
The award was received by Shaikha Saeed Al Mansoori, Assistant Director-General for Corporate Support at DFWAC, on behalf of Afra Al Basti, DFWAC Chief Executive Officer, at a ceremony at the EU Delegation to the UAE headquarters in Abu Dhabi.
Upon receiving the award, Ms Al Mansoori said that the recognition is an honour and will only push DFWAC to further strengthen its work in promoting the rights of women and children.
"This recognition from the EU Delegation gives us great pleasure. It makes us proud of our contribution and the help we extend to the community.
"Receiving this special diploma pushes us to take further steps to reach our goal of achieving a community free of violence, which won't be possible without support from our partners," she said.
"To be honoured by a prestigious delegation like the European Union sends a clear message that our efforts are paying off, and gives us a push to further enhance our services and to ensure that work done by the foundation is being carried out well, and heading in the right direction," Al Mansoori added.
The Chaillot Special Mention Diploma for Human Rights is named after the Palais de Chaillot in Paris, where the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted on December 10th, 1948, by the United Nations General Assembly.
The European Union Delegation in Riyadh, responsible for relations with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman, in close cooperation with the European Union Delegation in Abu Dhabi, and Embassies of the European Union Member States in the GCC region, presents the annual award for actions, campaigns, and projects which favour the promotion of human rights and raising awareness thereof in the GCC region.
Speaking on the occasion, EU Ambassador Carlo De Filippi thanked the organisation for the challenging work they do, adding that violence against women still remains a worldwide problem and that the EU is very committed to promoting the fight against it.
"This Diploma was presented to the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children for its actions, campaigns, and projects which clearly favour human rights promotion," he said.
The ambassador went on to say, "Today, we are not talking about politics or trade, but social issues and problems which are also part of the EU delegation's mission."