The Supreme Council for Family Affairs was established under the presidency of H. H. the Emir's Consort, Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Misnad. It was in accordance with the Emiri Decree No. (53) of 1998. The decision to establish the Council came as an embodiment of the political leadership's aspiration to have a supreme national authority in charge of the affairs of the Qatari family ? a body that cares for the family, examines its reality, diagnosis its ills and needs and at the same time fulfills its aspirations.
The Council is directly attached to His Highness the Emir; and it seeks to adopt policies, lay out plans and programs and launch initiatives that may contribute to preserving the family unit as a structure by working for the development of its capabilities and protecting its members.
The Council's mission is to uplift the family and promote the role of its members; propose and lay out plans, programs and projects to ensure the family's development and prosperity; enhance the role of national institutions, which offer basic services in the social, economic, educational, health, cultural, media and environmental areas in order to raise the level of their services and promote national initiatives and private participation aimed at consolidating the position of the family unit and supporting its roles.
The financial resources of the Council are formed of the allocations made by the State in the general budget, in addition to the contributions of various establishments and individuals including grants, donations, legacies, loans and the returns of its investments.
The organizational structure of the Council is formed of the Institutional Development Office, the Secretariat General and the Specialized Committees Division. The Secretariat General comprises several departments including the Department of People With Special Needs, the Department of the Elderly, the Department of Childhood, the Department of Women and the Department of Youth. The Specialized Committees Division is composed of the Special Needs Committee, the Elderly Committee, Women Committee, Childhood Committee, the Youth Committee and the Coordinating Committee between the Secretariat General and Private Societies and Institutions.