Initiatives

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…, 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.     CFCI Czech republic UNICEF Czech Republic, COUNTRY FACTS, Population:, 10,693,939, Pop. under 18:, 1,999,465, CONTACT, Adriana Podperova , Advocacy Coordinator,  [email protected] Czech Committee for UNICEF Rytířská 31, 110 00 Praha 1 - Czech Republic, LINKS, www.unicef.cz, List of child friendly cities in Czech Republic, 1 candidate city, Český Krumlov 

The Danish Committee for UNICEF piloted the Child-Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) in Denmark from 2018 to 2023. The overall aim of CFCI is to support Danish municipalities in becoming better at realizing the rights of all children. The initiative will help put children at the centre of decision making and will rethink the way municipalities…, 3 municipalities, in a pilot project to bring the CFCI to Denmark. The first part was a learning phase with the municipalities, with the aim of modifying the international CFCI framework to make it relevant to the Danish context. A specific effort was done to develop a strong child participation approach by the cities. From 2023, the Danish Committee for UNICEF…, COUNTRY FACTS, Population:, 5,800,000 (2020), Pop. under 18:, 1,300,000 (2020), CONTACT, Christian Bruun BINDSLEV [email protected] +45 29 89 34 55, LINKS, UNICEF Denmark website Aalborg city Billund Kommune Gladsaxe city, List of child friendly cities in Denmark, 3 recognized cities, 3 recognized cities, Billund Kommune Aalborg Gladsaxe

The Lapsiystävällinen kunta (Child Friendly Municipality) initiative in Finland has been active since 2012 and is led by the Finnish National Committee for UNICEF. As of end 2024,, 59 Finnish municipalities are participating in the initiative, and, 35 municipalities have been recognized as child friendly, . Finland’s capital Helsinki was recognised as a Child Friendly Municipality in 2024 being the first Nordic capital to receive the recognition. The initiative reaches 55 per cent of children living in Finland. The Child-Friendly Municipality initiative is a tool for municipalities to ensure the realization of child rights in the daily life of…, COUNTRY FACTS, Population:, 5,566,812, Pop. under 18:, 1,025,33, CONTACT, Erika TURUNEN, Senior advisor, Child-Friendly Governance,  [email protected] MILLA AALTONEN, Director of Public Partnerships, [email protected] Finnish National Committee for UNICEF Lautatarhankatu 6 00580 Helsinki FINLAND, LINK, UNICEF Finland Lapsiystävällinen kunta    , List of child friendly cities in Finland, 35 recognized child friendly cities, Eurajoki Forssa Helsinki Hämeenlinna Isokyrö Janakkala Joensuu Jyväskylä Kauhajoki Kirkkonummi Kokkola Kotka Lapinjärvi Lappeenranta Lempäälä Leppävirta Liminka Lohja Loviisa Maalahti/Malax Nokia Oulu Pedersöre Pori Puumala Ranua Riihimäki Rovaniemi Seinäjoki Sotkamo Tammela Tampere Turku Vantaa Vesilahti, 24 candidate cities, Hamina Hattula Humppila Imatra Kangasala Kemiönsaari Kempele Keuruu Kuopio Kurikka Kärkölä Liperi Loppi Marttila Outokumpu Rautalampi Ruokolahti Salo Tornio Tuusula Vaasa Vihti Vöyri Ylöjärvi

The origins, The Child Friendly Cities (CFC) initiative was launched in 2002 in partnership with the Association of French Mayors. The aim was to raise local leaders’s awareness of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and how it could improve the lives of children at the local level. The initiative started with 12 cities and the adaptation of the initial…, The 2020/2026 municipal mandate, Based on the new international Child Friendly Cities Initiative model, the Child Friendly City approach has been redesigned for the 2020/2026 municipal mandate. Between 2020 and 2021, more than 400 municipalities or inter-municipalities have expressed their willingness to improve their child and youth policy in order to advance the effectiveness…, Support from UNICEF France, UNICEF France provides support for the implementation of all the recommendations chosen by the cities throughout the mandate through specific working groups, expert documents and methodology. The achievement of the objectives is measured during and at the end of the mandate in order to guarantee sustainable results at the territorial level. Child-…, COUNTRY FACTS, Population, : 67,75 million, Pop. under 18, : 15,3 million, CONTACT, French Committee for UNICEF [email protected] Julie ZERLAUTH, Head of Advocacy and Territorial Programs, training and awareness [email protected] Juliette DROUX, Territorial Programs Officer [email protected] Laurence PAPPALARDO, Territorial Program Officer [email protected] Temanie GOMIS,Territorial Programs Officer tgomis@…, LINKS, CFCI website in France, List of child friendly cities in France, 299 recognized cities, You can discover the entire French CFCI Network here . Agde (34) Agen (47) Aix-en-Provence (13) Aix-les-Bains (73) Albertville (73) Albi (81) Alès (30) Alès Agglomération (30) Alfortville (94) Amboise (37) Amilly (45) Andrésy (78) Angoulême (16) Annecy (74) Antibes (06) Arques (62) Arras (62) Aubagne (13) Aubergenville (78) Auch (32) Audincourt (…

The Child Friendly Cities Initiative encourages local governments in Georgia to pay greater attention to meeting the rights of their youngest citizens, In October 2019, a delegation from Georgia participated in the Child Friendly Cities' Summit in Cologne, Germany, which coincided with the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Subsequently, the mayors of the three largest cities of Georgia, Tbilisi (the capital), Kutaisi, and Batumi signed a declaration, demonstrating…, COUNTRY FACTS, Population:, 3,736,400, Pop. under 18:, 900,732, CONTACT, Nino Davitashvili, Social Policy Officer, Decentralization, and Local Governance Program Lead [email protected] UNICEF Georgia - 9 Eristavi Street, IV floor, UN House, 0179 Tbilisi, Georgia, LINK, UNICEF Georgia UNICEF Georgia Child Friendly Cities

The Child Friendly City Initiative (CFCI) in Germany was created in 2012 and is run by the “, Kinderfreundliche Kommunen e.V, .” association, a coordinating body set up by the German National Committee for UNICEF in partnership with the non-governmental organization Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk e.V. The initiative aims to do two things: 1) raise awareness around the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN-CRC) with local administrations, politicians and the public…, COUNTRY FACTS, Population:, 84,485,000 (2023), Pop. under 18:, 13,860,000 (2021), Source:, Federal Statistical Office, CONTACTS, German National Committee for UNICEF, Dr. Sebastian Sedlmayr, Director of Advocacy and Policy / Director of Domestic Programmes [email protected], Kinderfreundliche Kommunen e.V. / Child Friendly Cities Initiative in Germany, Dominik Bär, Executive Director +49 (0) 1590 13 57 567 [email protected], LINKS, Kinderfreundliche Kommunen UNICEF Germany web site, RESOURCES, Best practices from Germany, List of child friendly cities in Germany, 59 recognized cities, Algermissen Angermünde Bad Bentheim Bad Pyrmont Beeskow Berlin Marzahn-Hellersdorf Berlin Pankow Bernau bei Berlin Bonn Brühl Burgdorf Dormagen Ebersberg Eltville Euskirchen Flensburg Garmisch-Partenkirchen Germering Haan Hanau Haren (Ems) Harsum Hemmoor Hohenhameln Kitzingen Köln Krefeld Lampertheim Lamspringe Landshut Landkreis Friesland…

UNICEF Greece Country Office launched the Child Friendly Cities Initiative (Πόλεις Φιλικές προς τα Παιδιά) in May 2021, with the capital city of Athens being the first municipality to join the CFCI network. As of March 2023, a total of 11 municipalities have signed Memoranda of Understanding committing to the implementation of the CFCI pilot for…, Planning for Children, . Municipalities and UNICEF agree to define objectives, activities, indicators and draft an Action Plan and an indicative, non-mandatory, budget allocation for each area of collaboration. Through the provision of technical support, UNICEF aims to enhance the capacity of municipalities to effectively coordinate, monitor and deliver social services…, Awareness-raising and Advocacy, through print, radio, television, social media, and live events. To this end, UNICEF provides promotional and information material, global knowledge resources, as well as facilitation and support for the organization of workshops, trainings and panel discussions on children’s rights., Data collection and monitoring, to measure progress of the program and its impact for children. Progress is monitored on the basis of the targets and indicators defined in the Action Plan, while UNICEF accompanies and provides technical support and relevant tools to the municipality throughout the implementation period., Coordination and Partnerships, with third parties, including civil society and the private sector to leverage resources, knowledge and networks in order to maximize results for children. The decision to join the CFCI is approved by the Municipal Council of each Municipality and the CFCI MoUs are signed by the respective Mayor. Each municipality appoints a focal point or a team…, Participation and citizenship, : The voices, needs and priorities of children are heard and taken into account in municipal policies and decisions on issues that affect them. , Environmental sustainability and living conditions, : Children live in a safe, secure and clean environment.  , Play and recreation, : Children have opportunities to rest, relax, play and participate in cultural and creative activities. , Childcare and education, : Children have access to quality early childcare and education services. , Safety and protection, : Children are protected from violence, abuse and neglect. , Health and well-being, : Children have access to adequate healthcare, including mental health, and nutrition.  Progress is monitored on the basis of the targets and indicators defined in each municipal Action Plan, while UNICEF Greece will accompany each municipality throughout the implementation of the Action Plan. Full Child-Friendly City Status shall be granted upon…, COUNTRY FACTS, Population:, 10.482.487, Pop. under 18:, 1,9 million, Source:, Hellenic Statistical Authority according to the 2021 census, CONTACT, Lina ANTARA, Youth & Adolescent Development Officer [email protected] UNICEF Greece  Agias Lavras 81, 157 73 Zografou,  Athens, Greece , LINK, CFCI in Gre ece Embedded video follows, List of child friendly cities in Greece, 12 pilot municipalities, Athens Eastern Samos Limnos Ioannina Katerini Pyrgos Volvi Larisa Pilea-Chortiatis (Thessaloniki) Trikala Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni (Attica) Komotini

The Child Friendly Cities Initiative, or Barnvæn sveitarfélög, has been active in Iceland since 2016 and is led by the Icelandic National Committee for UNICEF. As of May 2026, 22 Icelandic municipalities participate in the initiative and 11 municipalities have been recognized as child-friendly. The initiative reaches over 50 percent of children…, COUNTRY FACTS, Population:, 387,800, Pop. under 18:, 84.720, CONTACT, UNICEF Iceland Strandgata 75 220 Hafnarfjordur Iceland Marín Rós Eyjólfsdóttir, CFCI project manager [email protected], LINKS, Website of the initiative UNICEF Iceland, List of child friendly cities in Iceland, List of child friendly cities in Iceland, 11 recognized cities, Akraneskaupstaður Akureyarbær Hafnarfjörður Hvalfjarðarsveit Kópavogsbær Garðabær Mosfellsbær Hrunamannahreppur Vopnafjarðarhreppur Reykjanesbær Sveitarfélagið Hornafjörður, 11 candidate cities, Borgarbyggð Svalbarðsstrandarhreppur Sveitarfélagið Ölfus (Ölfus municipality) Sveitarfélagið Vogar (Vogar municipality) Seltjarnarnesbær Fjarðarbyggð Rangárþing Eystra Múlaþing Grundarfjörður Strandabyggð Skagaströnd

[Past initiative], Child Friendly Cities is a relatively new concept in Iran, however, there is a long-standing tradition of child-friendly practices and initiatives. For instance, Tehran Municipality launched the School Mayor Initiative in 1993 which is still running today. After the devastating 2003 earthquake in Bam, UNICEF, in collaboration with the Government,…, COUNTRY FACTS, Population:, 83,075,000 (2019), Pop. under 18:,  23,330,000 (2019) Source: Based on the estimates and forecast of the Statistical Centre of Iran, CONTACTS, Vida Montakhab , Head of Partnerships and Resource Mobilization Section, [email protected] Amir Rahdari, Partnerships Officer (CFCI focal point) , [email protected], RESOURCES, CFC Conference report Co-creation with children (English & Farsi) CFCI Brochure The Islamic Republic of Iran expands the CFCI Iran contributed actively to UNICEF’s First International CFCI Summit, List of child friendly cities in Iran, 1 candidate city, Isfahan

The Child Friendly Cities Initiative in Israel was launched as a joint pilot initiative between the municipality of Rishon LeZion and the Israeli Committee for UNICEF in 2014. The aim of the initiative is to bring a child rights perspective into the whole structure of the municipality, with an emphasis on child participation. The initiative is…, NUMBER OF CHILDREN REACHED, : 63,000, List of child friendly cities in Israel, 1 recognized city, Rishon LeZion Embedded video follows

The Italian National Committee for UNICEF completely revised the CFCI Program in 2018 to make it compliant with UNICEF’s international guidelines. Municipalities must implement interventions based on a child-rights approach and on evidence-based policy making. As of January 2026, seven cities have been recognized as Child Friendly Cities, and…, COUNTRY FACTS, Population:, 58.943.464, Pop. under 18:, 9.356.661, CONTACT, Federica Aguiari Head of Città amiche dei bambini e degli adolescenti [email protected], LINK, CFCI website for Italy, RESOURCES, CFCI Brochure (Italian), Manuale 2.0/4.0 Guida per i comuni che vogliono costruire città a misura di bambini e adolescenti (Italian), Linking CRC and SDGs (Italian), sostituire con tabella mappatura, Child & Youth Participation – options for Action (Italian), The necessity of Urban Green Space for Children’s Optimal Development (Italian), Consigli dei bambini e dei ragazzi: guida per promuovere la partecipazione attiva dei bambini e dei ragazzi (Italian), Gli obiettivi di sviluppo sostenibile e i diritti dell'infanzia, come monitorarli a livello locale (Italian), List of child friendly cities in Italy, List of Child Friendly Cities, 7 recognized cities in 2026, Trento (duration of the recognition 2022 – 2024) Caprarica di Lecce (duration of the recognition 2022 – 2024) Treviso (duration of the recognition 2023 – 2025 new evaluation 2025 – 2027) Prato (duration of the recognition 2024 – 2026) Empoli (duration of the recognition 2024 – 2026) Lecco (duration of the recognition 2025 – 2027) Succivo (duration…, 18 candidate cities in 2026, Altopascio Borgo San Lorenzo Brescia Campiglia Marittima Cassano delle Murge Castel San Giorgio Castel San Pietro Terme Cislago Cremona Francavilla Fontana Gualdo Tadino Latina Lipari Oria Palma di Montechiaro Sarezzo Terni Todi

The CFCI has begun to spread gradually in Japan. In Japan, preparatory work for the CFCI began in August 2016. After a two-year usefulness check of the CFCI in five municipalities (Niseko Town, Abira Town, Tomiya City, Machida City, and Nara City) starting in October 2018, the CFCI was officially launched in June 2021. As of 2024, these five…, COUNTRY FACTS, Population:, 124,630,000, Pop. under 18:, 18,055,000, CONTACT, Kayo KATO, [email protected] Japan Committee for UNICEF UNICEF House 4-6-12 Takanawa Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8607 Japan, LINKS, UNICEF Japan – Child Friendly Cities Initiative UNICEF Japan website, RESOURCES, Machida stories Machida stories, List of child friendly cities in Japan, 5 recognized cities, Niseko Abira Tomiya Machida Nara, 1 candidate city, Toyota city CFCI Japan 1 CFCI Japan 3 CFCI Japan 4