What is a Child Friendly City?

It is a city, or more generally a system of local governance, committed to fulfilling children's rights, including their right to:

• Influence decisions about their city
• Express their opinion on the city they want
• Participate in family, community and social life
• Receive basic services such as health care and education
• Drink safe water and have access to proper sanitation
• Be protected from exploitation, violence and abuse
• Walk safely in the streets on their own
• Meet friends and play
• Have green spaces for plants and animals
• Live in an unpolluted environment
• Participate in cultural and social events
• Be an equal citizen of their city with access to every service, regardless of ethnic origin, religion, income, gender or disability

A child friendly city is the embodiment of the Convention on the Rights of the Child at the local level, which in practice means that children’s rights are reflected in policies, laws, programmes and budgets. In a child friendly city, children are active agents; their voices and opinions are taken into consideration and influence decision making processes.

Examples of child- and youth-friendly cities worldwide

How has the UNCRC been implemented around the world?

Read these fascinating examples of how the UNCRC has made a difference in many countries around the world.

Business and Children Portal

A new portal focused on links between business and children’s rights has been launched by the non-profit Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. This joint initiative by UNICEF, UN Global Compact and Save the Children aims to develop a set of principles offering concrete guidance on what business can do to respect and support children’s rights.  Click here to learn more.

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