Initiatives
Explore Child Friendly Cities initiatives around the world
Poland
Poland
The Miasto Przyjazne Dzieciom (Child Friendly City) initiative in Poland was launched in September 2017 in the city of Gdynia, a city located on the coast of the Baltic Sea. The overall aim of the initiative in Poland is to engage all of society in implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and to encourage and enable children and…, List of child friendly cities in Poland, 4 recognized cities, Gdynia Sopot Torun Konin, 9 candidate cities, Kraków Poznań Grodzisk Mazowiecki Opole Kwidzyn Bydgoszcz Bielsko-Biała Bolesławiec Rybnik
Portugal
Portugal
The Programa Cidades Amigas das Crianças (Child Friendly Cities Programme) in Portugal was launched in 2015 by the Portuguese Committee for UNICEF. The initiative aims to contribute to the realization of children’s rights in the country and is designed to encourage adoption of public policies that promote the well-being of all citizens, and in…, List of child friendly cities in Portugal, 12 recognized cities, Cascais Fornos de Algodres Funchal Guimarães Lisboa Madalena do Pico Ponte de Sor Porto Póvoa de Lanhoso Seia Torres Novas Vila Verde, 19 candidates cities, Albergaria-a-Velha Braga Celorico da Beira Chamusca Esposende Fafe Fundão Marco de Canaveses Mêda Monção Ourém Ovar Penafiel Pombal Praia da Vitória Valongo Vila Franca de Xira Vila Nova de Famalicão Vila Nova de Gaia
Republic of Korea
Republic of Korea
The Child Friendly Cities Initiative in the Republic of Korea has earned remarkable progress in awareness-raising activities on the rights of children since 2013. As one of the biggest platform initiatives of the Korean Committee for UNICEF, it leverages other advocacy and fundraising activities of the National Committee while following the global…, List of child friendly cities in Republic of Korea, 91 recognized cities, Ansan Asan Bucheon Buk (a borough of Ulsan) Buk (a borough of Gwangju) Busan Busanjin (a borough of Busan) Buyeo Changwon Cheonan Cheongju Chilgok Chuncheon Chungju Daedeok (a borough of Daejeon) Daegu Metropolitan City Dalseo (a borough of Daegu) Dangjin Dobong (a borough of Seoul) Dong (a borough of Incheon) Dong (a borough of Gwangju)…
Romania
Romania
Romania is home to more than 3.7 million children who live across the country in 103 municipalities, 320 towns, and in 2.859 communes. Despite the significant progress in the past 30 years, three in ten children in Romania are affected by severe material and social deprivation. Besides, Romania has the highest rate of children at risk of poverty…, List of child friendly cities in Romania, 7 cities & communities engaged in CFCI, Bacau (municipality) Brasov (municipality) Bucharest (municipality) Deva (municipality) Moinesti (municipality) Colonesti (commune) Corbasca (commune) CFCI Romania CFCI Romania CFCI Romania
The Netherlands
The Netherlands
The Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) has been active in the Netherlands since March 2022. With the CFCI, the Dutch Committee for UNICEF brings together local governments to establish safer, more just, equitable, inclusive and child-responsive cities and communities. CFCI uses the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as a framework to…, List of child friendly cities in the Netherlands, Cohort of candidate cities 2024, Diemen Eemsdelta Hellendoorn Saba, Cohort of candidate cities 2023, Den Haag Gooise Meren Sint Eustatius
Slovenia
Slovenia
The Otrokom prijazno UNICEF-ovo mesto (UNICEF Child Friendly City) initiative in Slovenia was launched in 2002. The model for the initiative was originally exported from neighbouring Italy and is led by the Slovenia National Committee for UNICEF. Currently, 15 municipalities are participating in the initiative, including the capital city Ljubljana…, List of child friendly cities in Slovenia, 15 child friendly cities, Domžale Hrastnik Kamnik Kidričevo Ljubljana Maribor Nova Gorica Piran Postojna Ptuj Radlje ob Dravi Ruše Trbovlje Velenje Zagorje ob Savi
Spain
Spain
The Ciudades Amigas de la Infancia (Child Friendly Cities) initiative in Spain was launched in 2002 and has the support of the Ministry of Youth and Children, the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) and the University Institute of Needs and Rights of Children and Adolescents (IUNDIA). The initiative drives participating…, List of child friendly cities in Spain, 301 recognized cities, Albacete Alcalá De Henares Alcantarilla Alcázar De San Juan Alcobendas Alcoi Alcorcón Aldeamayor De San Martin Alfaro Alhaurin El Grande Alhendin Aljaraque Almendralejo Almería Almussafes Alovera Alpartir Alzira Andoain Andújar Arahal Argamasilla De Calatrava Argentona Armilla Arnedo Arroyo De La Luz Ávila Avilés Ayamonte Azuqueca De Henares…
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
[Past initiative] In Sri Lanka, as in many other countries around the world, local governments are responsible for the provision and coordination of many social services and take many decisions that have the greatest direct impact on children’s lives. A child-friendly city, town, community, or any system of local governance is committed to…
Sweden
Sweden
During 2017-2019 UNICEF Sweden started a pilot project together with five municipalities in Sweden to adapt and develop the methodology to the conditions of Swedish municipalities. In 2020 we launched CFCI as a strategy to support municipalities with the implementation of the CRC. Today we have three recognized municipalities and one new…, List of child friendly cities in Sweden, 3 recognized cities, Skellefteå kommun Karlskoga kommun Degerfors kommun , 1 candidate city, Tomelilla kommun
Switzerland & Liechtenstein
Switzerland & Liechtenstein
In Switzerland and Liechtenstein, the UNICEF initiative “Child-Friendly Cities” has been active since 2004, operating under the name “Kinderfreundliche Gemeinde”, “Commune amie des enfants” and “Comune amico dei bambini” in its different linguistic regions. The initiative aims at ensuring the rights of children to participate, be protected,…, List of child friendly cities in Switzerland & Liechtenstein, 51 recognized cities in Switzerland, Aarau Arbon Arlesheim Baden Basel Beringen Bern Blauen Boningen Egnach Fehraltorf Flawil Frauenfeld Freienwil Genève Grenchen Hitzkirch Knutwil Knonau Kriens Laupersdorf Lausanne Locarno Luzern Lyss Magden Martigny Muhen Neuenkirch Pratteln Rapperswil-Jona Rekingen/Bad Zurzach Reinach Riehen Rüdlingen Sion Stein am Rhein Sursee Teufen Thayngen…, 3 recognized cities in Liechtenstein, Eschen Mauren Ruggell, Child Rights Newsletters, 2020: COVID-19 special (2020): DE / FR / IT 1/2020: DE / FR / IT 2/2020: DE / FR / IT 3/2020: DE / FR / IT 4/2020: DE / FR / IT 2021: 1/2021: DE / FR / IT 2/2021: DE / FR / IT 2022: 1/2022: DE / FR / IT 2/2022: DE / FR / IT 3/2022: DE/FR/IT 4/2022: DE/FR/IT
Turkey
Turkey
[Past initiative], Industrialization, a growing economy and the search for better jobs and services have driven the Turkish population to migrate to urban areas. The number of people living in urban areas in Turkey today stands at 90 per cent – this translates to more than 60 million people, approximately 30 per cent of which are children. UNICEF Turkey’s Çocuk…, LIST OF CHILD-FRIENDLY CITIES IN TURKEY, CHILD-FRIENDLY MUNICIPALITIES, Expanding to about 150 municipalities in 2016-2020 Number of children targeted: 10,000 directly; 2,000,000 indirectly Çocuk Dostu Şehirler
Ukraine
Ukraine
UNICEF first piloted the Child Friendly Cities Initiative in Ukraine in 2009-2010. In 2017, the Government of Ukraine requested that UNICEF re-establish the initiative, noting its importance in the context of decentralization reform that is being undertaken in the country. Since 2018, UNICEF Ukraine has included the initiative as one of its…, List of child friendly cities in Ukraine, 23 candidate cities, Vinnytsia Khmilnyk Vakulivska Novoukrainska Kremenchuk Novoznamianska Uman Cherkasy Bilozirska Novoborivska Berezivska Mena Odessa Beliayevska Volodymyr-Volynskyi Rogatyn Lviv Ternopil Kamianets-Podilskyi Druzhkivka Bakhmut Shyrokivska Klesiv, 11 participating cities, Barska Myrhorod Kaniv Bila Tserkva Nova Vodolaga Kharkiv Mykolaiv Kherson Uzhorod Mariupol Tokmak
