Dubai ruler forms World Happiness Council

Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has announced the creation of the World Happiness Council to increase global efforts to improve happiness.

The council, announced yesterday ahead of the International Day of Happiness, will be headed by Global Happiness Report author Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs and receive administrative support from the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

The heads of six other sub councils were also appointed including professor Lord Richard Layard for happiness and health, professor Dr Martin Seligman for happiness and education, professor Edward Diener for personal happiness and professor Jan-Emmanuel De Neve for happiness in work environment.

In addition, Martine Durand will chair the happiness measurement sub council and Dr Aisha Bin Bishr the council of happy cities.

The World Happiness Council convene twice a year, with the first meeting held during the Global Dialogue for Happiness at the Dubai World Government Summit in February and the second during the meetings of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

During the World Government Summit it will also launch the yearly Global Happiness Report.

“Happiness is a good contagion, and we want the peoples of the world to be affected by it, to enjoy its goodness. This requires a tangible change in the culture of government work. We want an actual translation of the goals of international organisations that all share a general goal, represented in strengthening positivity, and maintaining a more sustainable world, and achieving goodness for the human,” Sheikh Mohammed said.

The UAE has been at the centre of happiness efforts in the region after appointing a happiness minister and announcing a charter for happiness last year

As part of its Vision 2021, the country intends to make it into the top five of the Global Happiness Report ranking from 28th last year.

Read: Happiness in the GCC