Czech republic

Český Krumlov on the path to becoming a Child Friendly City

Three years ago, Český Krumlov became the first city in the Czech Republic to apply for certification under UNICEF’s global Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI). The initiative aims to motivate local governments to systematically incorporate children's rights and needs into decision-making processes, creating an environment where children can grow up safely, develop their skills, and actively participate in decisions that affect their lives.

To receive this international recognition, Český Krumlov must undergo an accreditation process and meet all agreed-upon criteria and goals set in cooperation with the Czech National Committee for UNICEF. One of the key steps in this process was to collect the opinions and ideas of children and young people living in or attending schools in Český Krumlov. To achieve this, the Czech National Committee for UNICEF, in collaboration with the city, conducted an anonymous survey.

Based on the survey results, child participation was identified as a top priority. In response, the city established for example Children and Youth Parliament, a previously missing platform where young people can express their views and contribute to decision-making processes. Additionally, Český Krumlov has developed an Action Plan, a set of concrete measures and activities that will be implemented over the coming years to fulfill the objectives of the initiative.

A key next step in this initiative is initiating discussions with the national government and the Ministry of Social Affairs to explore opportunities for support and integration of the project into broader policies and frameworks for children's rights. This collaboration could help strengthen the impact of the initiative and ensure its long-term sustainability.