There are milestones in a nation’s journey that cannot be measured solely by the laws it passes or the decisions it takes, but by the vision they establish and the direction they set for the future. In the United Arab Emirates, the creation of the National Human Rights Institution reflects that kind of institutional maturity: it is part of the state’s own project, not merely a response to international obligations or temporary requirements. The issuance of the federal law establishing the institution, in line with the “Paris Principles”, marked a turning point in the UAE’s human rights trajectory, moving the country from building its legislative framework to entrenching a national institutional architecture for human rights. In this role, the institution is tasked with protecting and promoting human rights according to best international practice, while remaining consistent with the distinct character of Emirati society and its development vision.
From foundation to institutional consolidation
During its first term, the National Human Rights Institution completed what may be described as the foundation phase. Its efforts were directed towards building the institutional and organisational structure, setting legal and procedural frameworks, establishing governance principles, activating national mechanisms, and developing a broad network of relationships with national, regional and international institutions. At the same time, it worked to spread a culture of human rights and strengthen public awareness. This stage was a natural necessity for any national body seeking to establish its presence and independence before moving towards a more influential role.
A new phase of empowerment and leadership
Today, with the reconstitution of the Board of Trustees in its second term under the chairmanship of Dr Salem Suhail Saeed Al Neyadi, the institution is entering a phase that differs in both purpose and character: a phase of empowerment and leadership. Once their internal structure is complete, national institutions are expected to broaden their external influence, enhance their international presence, and translate their mission into initiatives and partnerships with tangible impact. That means expanding the institution’s international and regional engagement, cooperating with peer national institutions and with UN bodies and mechanisms, strengthening its global standing, and supporting its pursuit of the highest levels of international accreditation. It also positions the institution as an active platform for presenting the UAE’s experience in international forums.
Part of a broader national rights journey
Yet any discussion of the institution is incomplete without considering the wider rights-based journey of the UAE itself. That journey has unfolded through successive efforts to develop legislation, build institutions and modernise policies aimed at enhancing the rights of women, empowering young people, protecting children, supporting senior citizens, caring for people of determination, safeguarding workers’ rights, and entrenching the values of tolerance and coexistence, while combating discrimination and hatred within an integrated and harmonious framework.
Internationally, the UAE has not limited itself to joining international conventions. It has adopted an approach founded on openness and cooperation with the United Nations, active engagement with its mechanisms, and meaningful participation in international human rights events. This stems from a firm belief that dialogue and cooperation are the best path to advancing human rights, بعيداً عن الانتقائية أو التسييس.
Presenting the Emirati model to the world
The next stage does not require a redefinition of human rights in the UAE so much as a clearer presentation of the Emirati model as a holistic human experience. It also requires consolidating the institution’s standing as an independent national body trusted by the international community, one that carries the UAE’s human rights achievements to the world and builds effective partnerships with peer institutions. In doing so, it supports the institution’s attainment of the highest levels of international accreditation under the “Paris Principles”, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1993 and regarded as the “constitution” governing the work of national bodies tasked with protecting and promoting rights.
Ultimately, the success of the National Human Rights Institution in its second term will not be an achievement for one independent body alone, but a significant addition to the UAE’s broader journey of leadership. The UAE does not view human rights as a file to be managed, but as a value to be practised, a policy to be translated into action, and a vision renewed with each generation. The institution’s transition from foundation to empowerment is therefore a natural continuation of a nation that chose, from the outset, to invest in people as its greatest investment, and to make leadership in human rights the outcome of a comprehensive human journey, rather than a slogan to be raised or a goal to be announced.
*Emirati writer