A Child Friendly City is a local system of good governance
committed to fulfilling children's rights
Independent advocacy for children: supporting non-governmental organisations and developing independent human rights institutions - children's ombudspeople or commissioners for children - to promote children's rights
A city administration committed to building a Child Friendly City will have the courage to be held to account for its treatment of children. Non-governmental organisations have in many States played a large role in improving the lives of children. Since the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, many NGOs have been established that are committed to monitoring, promoting and protecting children's rights. In many States there are alliances or coalitions of child-focused NGOs, which come together to promote the fullest possible implementation of the Convention. The term non-governmental organisation can encompass many different groups: those committed explicitly to promote human rights, traditional child welfare groups, professional organisations, trades unions, church and faith groups and so on. Increasingly, child- and youth-led organisations are appearing, developing self-advocacy of human rights: they need consistent but non-controlling adult support.
NGOs can play an increasingly effective role in a formal, influential relationship with city government, as partners in building a Child Friendly City.
Internationally, the UN system has emphasised the importance of establishing human rights institutions to monitor, promote and protect human rights at the national level. The Committee on the Rights of the Child has promoted independent human rights institutions for children. Many states now have either children's ombudspeople or children's rights commissioners, or a focal point for children within a national human rights institution. In a few cases, such institutions exist at regional or city level. It is essential to ensure that these institutions are genuinely accessible to children where they are living.
The key to the effectiveness of these institutions is their independence in acting as a powerful watchdog or champion for children. Having appropriate statutory powers and duties, linking them to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, makes them complementary to NGOs with the added influence that a statutory basis provides. A city government may not have the powers to legislatively establish a children's ombudsman, but it can advocate with the central government to do so.
EXAMPLES
The CFC Secretariat has gathered a number of examples for an independent advocacy for children at both local and national levels of government, and from low-, middle- and high-income nations.
Each example includes the following documents:
- A worksheet describing the project (accessed from the CFC Database)
- Other documents, such as publications, guides, reports and strategies, developed by the project (when available)
- A project review prepared by the CFC Secretariat, based upon in-depth documentation of the project and developed on the basis of a standard research protocol (when available)
- Tools developed by the project (when available)
Derry Children's Commission, NORTHERN IRELAND
Growing up in Tilburg, NETHERLANDS
München, Stadt für Kinder (Munich, City for Children), GERMANY
Social management with a child rights perspective in Santander de Quilichao, COLOMBIA
Social Mobilisation for Child Rights (SMRC) Programme - The pilot Ombudsman for children's rights project, RUSSIAN FEDERATION
The European Network of Ombudsmen for Children, GLOBAL
The National Children's Strategy, IRELAND
Defensoría de la Niñez y la Adolescencia (Local Ombudsperson for children and youth)
BOLIVIA
Full details
The main goal of the initiative is to set up a nationwide network of municipal 'Defensorias', which supports children whose rights are being violated. This support can be juridical as well as psychological. The 'Defensorias' function as a local ombudsperson for child rights.
Derry Children's Commission
NORTHERN IRELAND
Full details
Derry Children's Commission is an innovative interagency partnership involving children and young people, parents, providers of services, planners and policy makers from the statutory, voluntary and community sectors of the Derry City Council area.
Growing up in Tilburg
NETHERLANDS
Full details
Youth 'Ombuds-point'
The Youth Ombuds-point is a point where children and young people can refer to when they need information or assistance from municipal services. It is not only meant as an 'emergency' service. It is supposed to be an accessible and recognisable service that actively promotes participation by children and young people.
München, Stadt für Kinder (Munich, City for Children)
GERMANY
Full details
Clear focal points with an 'ombuds-function' (Kinder Buero): The Children's Office is co-ordinating all initiatives of the 'City for Children' programme. Clear efforts are made to make this office accessible to children and youth. Children themselves can come up with ideas to make Munich more child-friendly, questions about things of their concern, complains about certain situations, etc. Parents and other adults can also initiate ideas.
Social management with a child rights perspective in Santander de Quilichao
COLOMBIA
Full details
PROJECT REVIEW: Social management with a child rights perspective in Santander de Quilichao, Department of Cauca
There are two institutions which serve as 'watchdogs' for the protection of child rights:
Comisaria de Familia receives complaints regarding intra-family problems, including child abuse, and facilitates reconciliation of these conflicts.
Personaria Municipal has an oversight function with regard to local government expenditure, government action and the functioning of government officials.
Social Mobilisation for Child Rights (SMRC) Programme - The pilot Ombudsman for children's rights project
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Full details
The European Network of Ombudsmen for Children
EUROPE
Full details
The National Children's Strategy
IRELAND
Full details
DOCUMENT 1: The Children's Rights Alliance
DOCUMENT 2: Appointment as Ireland's First Ombudsman for Children
