Placing children front and centre of local decision-making

The Sharjah Child Friendly City project is a holistic approach to local governance that seeks to place children front and centre of local decision-making. The initiative brings the Emirate’s longstanding efforts to promote child-friendliness under one umbrella with an objective to ensure the following:

• National law on child rights is adapted and implemented in the local context.
• Child rights are known and applied by children and adults alike, including local government staff.
• Children can actively participate in the community and their views are considered in matters affecting them.
• Opportunities are present for rest, play and leisure for children.
• Discriminatory practices are addressed and barriers excluding certain groups of children are removed at all levels.
• Political support and leadership are in implementation.

The city started its journey by conducting a situation analysis and developed an action plan that reflected the city’s priorities and commitments toward becoming a child-friendly city based on consultations with hundreds of children, youth, parents, caregivers, academic professionals, private and public authorities.

Since then, Sharjah has taken several steps to become more child-friendly, including integration of children’s voices into urban planning decisions (e.g., introduction of child-friendly urban planning principles and assessment of public spaces by children); introduction of child rights principles and child rights education in schools and nurseries; training of media professionals; and promoting child rights through events, awareness raising and communications.