Sharjah bids for UN's child friendly city title

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Sharjah bids for UNs child friendly city title
Louise Thivant (L)- policy and Advocacy specialist at UNICEF - Venessa Sedletzki (R) - international child rights expert at UNICEF giving their presentation during the Sharjah Candidacy for the Child Friendly Cities Initiative at Maraya Art Centre in Sharjah

Sharjah - Sharjah has achieved the Baby-Friendly City by protecting mothers and new-born babies.

by

Angel Tesorero

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Published: Mon 6 Feb 2017, 5:00 PM

Last updated: Mon 6 Feb 2017, 8:28 PM

After being recognised as a Baby-Friendly City by the UN and World Health Organization back in 2015, Sharjah has expanded the framework to cover a wider age group and scope with its bid to become a Child-Friendly City.
The announcement was made on Monday by the Sharjah Child Friendly Office (SCFO) in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (Unicef). Sharjah has achieved the Baby-Friendly City by protecting mothers and new-born babies; with the Child-Friendly City framework, everyone will be covered from birth to 18 years old.
A Child Friendly City (CFC) is defined as any local system of governance, urban or rural, large or small, committed to fulfilling children's rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
According to Unicef, a CFC "guarantees the right of every young citizen to influence decisions and express their opinions about their city and participate in family, community and social life."
The CFC Initiative was launched by Unicef in 1996 as a global effort to protect children from exploitation, violence and abuse, and be able to walk safely in the streets, enjoy leisure time, have green spaces for plants and animals, and participate in cultural and social events, regardless of ethnic origin, religion, income, gender or disability.
A city vying for a CFC title has to ensure that children and young adults will receive basic services such as healthcare, education and shelter, and that they are provided with safe drinking water and have access to proper sanitation.
Dr Hessa Al Ghazal, executive director of the Sharjah Baby Friendly Office (SBFO), said the Sharjah CFC project team seeks to drive the emirate forward as a strong CFC candidate.
"Sharjah's ongoing efforts to provide a conducive environment for children and young adults to thrive, have resulted in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Unicef, to conduct a joint study on the status of children in Sharjah. In the process, we have conducted over 70 field visits and workshops for 23 departments and institutions in Sharjah from July 2016 to January 2017," said Dr Al Ghazal.
At the same forum, Vanessa Sedletzki, an international child rights expert, said: "We're very pleased to see all the different efforts and initiatives that have been going on in Sharjah and we look forward to working with the emirate to make it a Child Friendly City."
"However, there are some areas that need to be accelerated and few challenges to be addressed to further advance child participation," Sedletzki told Khaleej Times.
"A children's council has been in place in Sharjah for a long time but we want to see these children as actors who actually set the agenda and not just only being asked questions by adults. The children should be more involved in the process and actual implementation," Sedletzki explained.
Another challenge Sedletzki pointed is the gap between nationals and expat children. Young nationals can communicate better because they have access to skills and opportunities that are not available to other young expats, she pointed out.
"I understand that around 80 per cent of the population in Sharjah are expats, therefore it is very important that these expat children should be represented and have equal access to participation," Sedletzki said.
She added: "We want to see all children - regardless of who they are or their nationalities, whether boys, girls, or children with disabilities - to be included in everything that happens the emirate. This would make Sharjah a truly Child Friendly City."

Sharjah Child Friendly City action plan 
According to Louise Thivant, policy and advocacy specialist at Unicef, there is no specific timeframe to achieve the Child Friendly City status. It could take a year or two but the more important aspect is the process and journey towards achieving the goal. Here are the components of the Sharjah Child Friendly City action plan: 
>Drafting of a comprehensive child rights policy and legal framework
>Preparing an action plan for child rights
>Enhancing children's participation
>Emphasising equity, inclusiveness and non-discrimination
>Developing leadership coordination and partnerships
>Preparing a comprehensive plan for communication and public relations
>Ensuring monitoring and evaluation
>Following an independent accountability mechanism
>Providing rest, play and leisure facilities for all children
 
angel@khaleejtimes.com 


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