The Department of Community Development conducted a self-assessment workshop for licensed non-Muslim places of worship in Abu Dhabi.
The workshop was attended by representatives from 18 places of worship and is part of a series of workshops scheduled for this year to raise awareness about the self-assessment mechanism, which is an essential element of DCD's control and inspection framework.
At the start of the workshop, representatives from the places of worship were welcomed and commended for their role in promoting tolerance within the emirate. Their participation further highlighted Abu Dhabi as a prime example of a place that embraces diverse nationalities and religions, all while ensuring safety, stability and harmony.
A key topic covered during the workshop was the role of the DCD in setting the legal framework to regulate the establishment of places of worship for non-Muslims in Abu Dhabi, which involves supervision of their performance, setting standards for licensing, inspection, and auditing based on Executive Council Resolution (61) for the year 2019 regarding the organization of places of worship for non-Muslims. The importance of adhering to these regulations was stressed at the workshop.
The workshop provided an overview of the framework for inspections and control, which is built on the principles of confidentiality, transparency, and codes of conduct. The four types of inspections were also presented, the first of which is the inspection before obtaining a license, which aims to assess the readiness of the entity want to be licensed. The second is the routine inspection, which comes under the annual plan for the inspection of entities licensed by the DCD in order to assess the extent of their compliance. The third is the spot-check inspection, which is done without the entity being notified in advance. The fourth inspection type is interactive, which is carried out based on monitoring processes or complaints.
Another focal point of the workshop was the self-assessment form, which is a crucial element of DCD's control and inspection framework and which serves as a guide for the inspection of entities that come under the supervision of the department.
Using the self-assessment form, entities are able to achieve compliance as they can evaluate themselves prior to the inspection process and verify that they are in line with the obligations and responsibilities specified by the laws and regulations.