PREPARING FOR THE WORLD DOWN SYNDROME CONGRESS DUBAI 2021

Dr. Manal Jarour led an expanded meeting for the committees of the World Down Syndrome Congress Dubai 2020, at the headquarters of the Emirates Down Syndrome Association in Dubai, which will be under the kind patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council in Dubai. To start preparing to work on the tasks according to the requirements of Congress.

The meeting aims to introduce the objectives and principles of the World Down Syndrome Congress Dubai 2020, to ensure its success and achieve the desired goals.

Dr. Manal Jaarour, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Assembly, President of the Congress, welcomed the heads and members of the committees, praising their presence and their desire for volunteer work, which reflects a self-desire for heartfelt giving. The important thing for which our hosting is a pivotal turning point in the lives of people of determination with Down syndrome.

The welcoming was followed by the acquaintance of committee members who represent different bodies and institutions in the public and private sectors

Dr. Jaarour presented the objectives and principles of the World Congress and its importance in achieving its goals in a manner befitting the UAE, and the position the UAE has reached in the field of People of Determination.

The chairman of each committee met with his work team to discuss and review the tasks entrusted to each committee and to develop a plan for implementation and follow-up.

The National Scientific Committee is chaired by Dr. Fatima Al Bastaki, a consultant in genetic diseases at the Dubai Health Authority.

While the Program Secretariat Committee is chaired by Ms. Aisha Al-Darbi, Director of the Dubai Center for People of Determination, and the Technical Secretariat Committee is chaired by Ms. Alia Darwish, member of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Down Syndrome Association.

The committees include a distinguished elite of specialists in various fields, which include the legal aspect, the media aspect, the medical aspect, the social and humanitarian aspect, which is a qualitative addition and constitutes a combination of a special kind that enriches Congress to achieve the desired goals.

For her part, Ms. Nawal Al Nasser, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Assembly, Vice President of the Congress, said: The importance of this Congress stems from being a specialist for people with Down syndrome, as we always strive to chart a better future for them by providing quality services, sharing the best global practices, and accessing all that is new. It constitutes a qualitative addition to them in the process of empowering and integrating them.

It is worth noting that the UAE won the hosting of the World Down Syndrome Congress 2020 in Dubai, which is the first time for a country in the Middle East and North Africa to win this event in a global phenomenon that brings together more than 1,200 experts, specialists and researchers in the field of people with Down syndrome and their families.

The conference will discuss the most important and latest developments and research during the last two years in the main areas related to people with Down syndrome according to the highest international standards for people of determination, which include health, education, employment, a decent standard of living, social protection, legal recognition, participation in public life and independent life in addition to Societal and cultural integration, sports participation, etc..

The UAE’s hosting of this global event comes due to its position internationally in the distinguished global achievements and the directives of the wise leadership to enable people of determination to live a decent life.