Child Friendly Cities in Albania Soon

“The involvement of civil society, especially child-focused and youth-led organizations, is crucial to avoid that the initiative becomes technocratic and loses sight of the concerns and needs of communities, families and children themselves. The balance in power is important to ensure the initiative does not become a victim of shifting political priorities in local governments, which makes building long-term change for children difficult,” says representative of UNICEF in Tirana Roberto de Bernardi

By Genc Mlloja 

Senior Diplomatic Editor 

“If I attempt to encapsulate the description of the Child Friendly Cities in one sentence, it would be that: ‘the child friendly city makes it possible for children to flourish in their lives as new citizens and provides for every child’s needs’.” 

The representative of UNICEF in Tirana, Roberto de Bernardi made that description in an exclusive interview with Albanian Daily News explaining the Initiative on Child Friendly Cities which was first launched in 1996. 

UNICEF has tried to give an answer to the questions and challenges confronting the worldwide attempt to promote children’s rights. 

“A child friendly city is a place where every child and their families thrive and enjoy vibrant, prosperous and healthy lives,” said Mr. Bernardi in his explanation on the benefits of such an outstanding endeavor. 

In addition he said that nowadays investments to create Child Friendly Cities would require politicians and policymakers willing to invest in children to receive long-term benefits, therefore, it calls for decisions that are forward looking. “Planning for a child friendly city begins with the understanding of how such a city could enhance the experience of childhood and provide benefits for the years to follow. The benefits spill over to all generations living today and tomorrow, since the children of the today are the youth and the adults of the future.”

Albania has not yet joined such an Initiative even though it is part of the Convention on the Right of the Child. 

But, the UNICEF senior envoy to Tirana was fully aware that there is much to be done by all actors to transform communities/neighborhoods and cities child friendlier in Albania. “While this work is ongoing, UNICEF will advocate to establish the governance mechanism that would recognize positive efforts in this regard and certify officially child friendly cities in Albania,” said the representative of UNICEF in Tirana, Roberto de Bernardi in the following interview: 

-It is a great pleasure to having this opportunity to learn something in detail on different aspects about what a child-friendly city is. Please can you share with ADN’s readers some opinions on this? 

-Globally, the Child Friendly Cities Initiative was launched in 1996 by UNICEF to respond to the challenge of realizing the rights of children in an increasingly urbanized and decentralized world. Since then it has been adapted to suit different cultures and contexts, but always maintaining its interconnection with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and later, when introduced, with the Sustainable Development Goals.

At UNICEF, we define Child Friendly City/Community as a local system of good governance committed to fulfilling children’s rights. It is a city/community where the voices, needs, priorities and rights of children are an integral part of public policies, programmes and decisions.

Various recurrent themes characterize Child Friendly Cities, mostly related to child-friendly urban design; natural environment; independent mobility; health and well-being; open spaces and recreation; children’s participation; education and learning.

If I attempt to encapsulate the description in one sentence, it would be that: ‘the child friendly city makes it possible for children to flourish in their lives as new citizens and provides for every child’s needs’

-To speak in concrete terms which are some of the benefits for children living in a Child Friendly City?

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To start with, a city friendly for children, is friendly to all. That is the prime benefit of planning the city having the youngest in the focus.

In a child friendly city, children are safe and protected from exploitation, violence and abuse; they have a good start in life and grow up healthy and cared for; have access to essential services; experience quality, inclusive and participatory education and skills development; live in a clean, unpolluted and safe environment with access to green spaces; meet friends and have places to play and enjoy themselves; have a fair chance at life regardless of their ethnic origin, religion, income, gender or ability.

A child friendly city is a place where every child and their families thrive and enjoy vibrant, prosperous and healthy lives.

-How is UNICEF going to help local government to introduce the concept of Child Friendly City in Albania?

-UNICEF will continue to support the state at national and local level through the ongoing implemented strategies / approaches, including: Child-friendly policies and legal frameworks; Cross-sectorial coordination and partnerships; Communication, awareness raising and advocacy; Inclusive child participatory mechanisms and processes; Collection of data and evidence generation; Capacity building to create sustainable results for children.

The Child-Friendly Cities initiative has to be institutionalized, through various mechanisms at national and local level. The accreditation system of Child-Friendly cities would require municipalities, to start with, the conduct of situation analysis of children, training of various professionals with the principles of child-responsive policies, development, implementation and monitoring of actions plans with clear objectives, activities, indicators and budget allocation for key areas/components; whilst all of these activities need to include the voices of children.

UNICEF intends to be an advocate and support of relevant stakeholders along all these processes, upholding the child-rights approach.

– Why, in your opinion, should politicians and policymakers invest in Child Friendly Cities?  

-Nowadays investments to create Child Friendly Cities would require politicians and policymakers willing to invest in children to receive long-term benefits, therefore, it calls for decisions that are forward looking.

 

Planning for a child friendly city begins with the understanding of how such a city could enhance the experience of childhood and provide benefits for the years to follow. The benefits spill over to all generations living today and tomorrow, since the children of the today are the youth and the adults of the future.

I would like to minimally outline five benefits or positive outcome components if we invest today for child friendly cities:

Child-friendly cities support children to grow healthy and strong.

Child-friendly cities ensure children are safe and risk-prepared.

Child-friendly cities ensure a decent standard of living with access to education and learning opportunities.

Child-friendly cities empower children to participate in decision-making to encourage civic trust, engagement and connectivity.

Child-friendly cities ensure children live in a sustainable and climate-resilient environment

Each of these benefits reflect the mutual interaction between a child and the built environment: a child as a receiver of a service and required support, but also as a participant who learns to takes action. These benefits, and guidance on how to achieve them, help cities to make children’s rights and children’s needs a central tenet of their work.

–Could you please unveil the ‘map’ of the location of such cities if there is any in Albania? 

-There is not yet such a ‘map’. We are fully aware that there is much to be done by all actors to transform our communities/neighborhoods and cities child friendlier.

While this work is ongoing, UNICEF will advocate to establish the governance mechanism that would recognize positive efforts in this regard and certify officially child friendly cities in Albania.

–Does the civil society and media have a role to play in this endeavor, that is what contribution can they play? 

-The media constitute important partners in promoting and advocating for Child Friendly Cities. The media are also important platforms for engaging children in local TV and radio programmes, newspapers and social media. They can make significant contributions to promoting and spreading information, gathering feedback and organizing local campaigns through social media.

Partnering with civil society organizations (and the public) has the advantage that it allows concerned citizens to advocate for improvements for children with the local government, just as citizens can help implement child rights through their daily interactions with children in the city.

The involvement of civil society, especially child-focused and youth-led organizations, is crucial to avoid that the initiative becomes technocratic and loses sight of the concerns and needs of communities, families and children themselves. 

The balance in power is important to ensure the initiative does not become a victim of shifting political priorities in local governments, which makes building long-term change for children difficult./ADN