Assistant Undersecretary for Family Affairs at the Ministry of Social Development and Family HE Sheikha Sheikha bint Jassim Al Thani, reiterated the State of Qatar's keenness on promoting family cohesion as well as upholding the value and role of the family in realizing the pillars of community development.

In a research paper, she presented within the sessions of the 15 International Conference on Interfaith Dialogue on the central role of the family in education and upbringing, Her Excellency said that the permanent constitution of the State of Qatar stipulates that "The family is the basis of the society. A Qatari family is founded on religion, ethics, and patriotism. The law shall regulate adequate means to protect the family, support its structure, strengthen its ties, and protect maternity, childhood, and old age."

She added that the Family Charter, which was launched by the Ministry of Social Development and Family, comes as an important step towards enhancing the role of the family in building a strong, sustainable society, which confirms the importance of the family as a basic unit in society, pointing out that the family is considered a source of values and education and contributes to building and developing the nation as a whole.

She noted that the Qatari Family Charter represents the societal framework that governs family relations in the State of Qatar, as this charter focuses on the rights and duties of individuals within the family, and seeks to achieve balance and justice in these relationships. It also addresses many aspects, such as the financial and economic rights of individuals, as well as educational and health rights, in addition to protecting the rights of children and women and promoting the values of justice and mutual respect within the family.

Her Excellency pointed out that the charter serves as a constitution for the family and a document that defines the values and principles that govern the family's relationships and interactions in society. It is classified as an implicit agreement between family members to manage expectations and define the decision-making process and responsibilities within the family, noting that this document is the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

The vision of the Ministry of Social Development and Family aims to invite the Gulf states as well as the Arab and international community to join the charter in the future.

Through her paper, HE Sheikha Sheikha bint Jassim Al Thani pointed out that religions paid great attention to the family and laid spiritual, intellectual and moral foundations for it to rely on in establishing, surviving, developing, achieving cohesion and success, and also provided solutions to its social, educational and psychological problems.

The Ministry of Social Development and Family, represented by the Family Development Department, participated in the fifteenth International Conference on Interfaith Dialogue, which, over two days, addressed many topics that focused on the importance of the interaction between religious and educational values to build an interconnected and balanced family.