In application of the provisions of this Decree by Law, the following words and expressions shall have the meanings assigned thereto, unless the context otherwise requires:

The State: The United Arab Emirates.

Cabinet: The Council of Ministers of the United Arab Emirates.

Minister: Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs.

The General Secretariat: The General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers.

Secretary General: The Secretary General of the Cabinet.

The Cabinet shall have a General Secretariat vested with the necessary powers to carry out its duties in accordance with the provisions of this Decree by Law, and the rules, regulations and resolutions issued for its implementation.

The General Secretariat shall assist the Cabinet in performing its functions by exercising the following competences:

1. Preparing the Cabinet agenda, arranging its meetings, drafting its resolutions and following up on their implementation.

2. Providing legal, administrative and technical support regarding the matters presented to the Cabinet and submitting appropriate recommendations thereon.

3. Contributing to the preparation of draft laws in their final form and undertaking constitutional procedures followed to issue such laws.

4. Drafting Federal decrees and regulatory decisions of the Cabinet.

5. Submitting proposals to the Cabinet regarding the development of the functions of Ministries, Federal authorities and institutions.

6. Following up on and evaluating the performance of the councils and committees formed by the Cabinet and submitting recommendations in this regard.

7. Organizing communication between the Cabinet, and the various ministries, authorities, and institutions of the State 

8. Preparing and distributing the Official Gazette of the State.

9. Proposing manuals and procedures for the functioning of the Cabinet.

10. Proposing draft laws, regulations, rules and resolutions related to the functions of the General Secretariat.

11. Proposing the draft annual budget and the final account of the General Secretariat.

12. Representing the Cabinet and the General Secretariat in legal actions filed by or against them and having the right to appoint one or more lawyers from within or outside the Government, to handle such legal actions.

13. Any other competences assigned to the General Secretariat by the Cabinet or its Prime Minister.

 

The Minister shall be the Head of the General Secretariat, and shall represent it before supreme State bodies and shall exercise the following powers:

1. Proposing the general policies of the General Secretariat and supervising its implementation.

2. Exercising general supervision over the functions of the General Secretariat and issuing the necessary instructions in this regard.

3. Approving the draft annual budget and the final account of the General Secretariat and submitting them to the Cabinet for approval.

4. Issuing the organizational structure of the General Secretariat.

5. Any other powers stipulated by Federal laws, rules , regulations and resolutions.

The Minister may delegate some of their powers to senior officials of the General Secretariat.

 

The General Secretariat shall have a Secretary General, who shall be appointed pursuant to a Federal Decree upon the proposal of the Minister, to assist the Minister in managing the General Secretariat and directly supervising its functions. Particularly, the Secretary General shall exercise the following competences:

1. Participating in setting the general policy of the General Secretariat, developing its programs, and supervising the implementation thereof.

2. Proposing policies and rules that contribute to the improvement and development of the performance of the General Secretariat.

3. Drafting the annual budget and the final account and submitting them to the Minister.

4. Attending the Cabinet sessions.

5. Supervising the preparation of the Cabinet agenda.

6. Carrying out any other competences assigned thereto by the Cabinet or the Minister.

The Minister may delegate some of their powers to senior officials of the General Secretariat.

The General Secretariat shall have its independent administrative, financial and functional rules and regulations governing the performance of its functions, including all employment and disciplinary rules and regulations applicable to its employees, which shall be issued by a resolution from the Minister. In the absence of any provision in such rules or regulations, the applicable laws shall apply.

The General Secretariat shall be allocated the necessary funds to achieve its assigned objectives through the Ministry of Finance and Industry. Disbursement from this budget and oversight thereof shall be conducted in accordance with the rules applicable to the General Secretariat, and it shall be exempt from the provisions of external financial control.

Any provision that contradicts or conflicts with the provisions of this Decree by Law shall be repealed.

This Decree by Law shall be published in the Official Gazette, and shall enter into force from the date of its publication.