MUSCAT: The Ministry of Social Development, represented by the Department of Juvenile Affairs, held the first forum on aftercare for juvenile delinquents, at the Grand Millennium hotel, on Monday.
The three-day forum, attended by 50 participants from the Ministry of Social Development and its partners, was aimed at acquainting with the concept of aftercare for juvenile delinquents, reviewing the latest international approaches of aftercare for juvenile delinquents, training workers on devising assistant programmes and mechanisms to help juveniles undergoing aftercare programme in a manner that sustains behavior change and enable them to integrate into the society.
Her Excellency Dr Laila bint Ahmed al Najjar, Minister of Social Development, presided over the forum opening. The event was attended by a number of the ministry’s officials.
The minister of social development said that the forum aims to provide skills and experiences for workers in the field of aftercare for juvenile delinquents after the end of their sentence and help them to integrate into society.
The minister pointed to the efforts being made to preserve the traditions and inculcating the Omani identity and the feeling of belonging to the country through providing programmes and activities that contribute to family cohesion which the ministry considers as a key factor in protecting children against delinquency.
Mohammed bin Ali al Saadi, Director-General of Social Care at the Ministry of Social Development, delivered the ministry’s speech in which he said: “The reality of humankind is shrouded in mystery. By their nature, humans are by nature prone to delinquency in a changing society. Globalization and the technological revolution have resulted in an unprecedented increase in the number of juvenile delinquents in the Arab world. The statistics indicate that there were 283 juvenile delinquents by the end of 2020.”
Al Saadi added that Oman Vision 2040 is the country’s gateway to overcome challenges and keep pace with regional and global changes in order to boost the economy and enhance social welfare all across the Sultanate of Oman. Welfare and social protection are among the government’s top priorities. Social protection is among the fundamentals of Oman Vision 2040 which aims to achieve integrated social protection directed to the neediest groups to enable them to become self-reliant and contribute to the national economy. Another objective of Oman Vision 2040 is to create a society covered with an effective, sustainable and fair social protection network.
Based on the Oman Vision 2040, the Ministry of Social Development, has adopted the Social Action Strategy (2016-2025) with regard to social protection being one of the main axes that seek to provide social care and protection as part of the development plans and programmes. The Directorate-General of Social Welfare, represented by the Juvenile Affairs Department, strives to provide social care services to juveniles as one of the most needy groups with the aim of enabling them to integrate into society and be productive and constructive citizens in the future. The ministry is making great efforts to hone the skills and capabilities of juveniles by conducting rehabilitation programmes at the reformatories in cooperation with all relevant authorities, the official said.
