UNICEF putting Child Friendly Cities on the agenda in New Zealand

At the national Child Friendly Cities forum co-hosted by UNICEF NZ and Wellington City Council today (26 February), attendees will hear about the importance of ensuring that children’s rights and active participation are a priority for local government and communities in New Zealand.

The forum stems from the UNICEF Child Friendly Cities Initiative which provides a framework to guide councils and communities in their work for children, with the ultimate goal of gaining formal UNICEF accreditation.

UNICEF NZ National Advocacy Manager, Deborah Morris-Travers, said, “As New Zealanders have become more aware of the need for our nation to do better for our children, a growing number of councils and communities have stepped up to embrace the Child Friendly Cities Initiative as a way to coordinate their efforts for children while making a measurable difference.

“Councils are at the frontline of service delivery on a range of matters relevant to children and families, including housing, community and economic development, transport, parks, recreation, water, emergency preparedness, environmental protection and city design.

“At UNICEF, we have seen that when children’s rights and interests are central to council processes, decisions on these matters are likely to be more sustainable ensuring safer, more vibrant communities that work for all citizens.

Ms Morris-Travers, added, “Today’s forum challenges people to think about children’s citizenship and identify practical steps we can take at the local level to ensure all children across New Zealand do well.”

The forum is also the perfect opportunity to welcome New Zealand’s Capital to this initiative with Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown confirming that Wellington City has registered with the UNICEF Child Friendly Cities Initiative and will be working toward full accreditation in the years to come.

“This means considering children across all Council’s services and urban planning.

“Making our city good for children makes it good for everybody,” said Mayor Wade-Brown.

“Already we provide open and accessible libraries, great play and recreation facilities, warm dry housing and safer routes to school. Capital E and Council’s community events team deliver plenty of fun activities.

“Children and young people are very aware of the future. Our Youth Council and other organisations inspire us to reduce pollution and make Wellington fit for future generations,” she said.

Speakers at the Child Friendly Cities forum include Dr Bronwyn Hayward from Canterbury University, who has urged councils to ensure they are proactive in their efforts to protect the environment and mitigate the impact of climate change.

Associate Professor Claire Freeman from Otago University will speak to the value of children’s views and interests in urban planning and the need to ensure neighbourhoods that enable children to interact with the natural environment.

Hannah Mitchell, Child and Youth Friendly Cities Coordinator in Whangarei, will share insights on the value of using the UNICEF framework to create a common agenda and enable people to work together more effectively – and some of the challenges inherent in this.

UNICEF NZ will also leverage the forum to showcase the Map Your World tool, which enables children to examine their communities, identify things they want to improve and work out how to achieve those improvements. The tool is a positive example of enabling child participation and ownership within communities.

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