Novopolotsk to become child friendly city

VITEBSK, 8 June (BelTA) – Novopolotsk will joint the UNICEF Child Friendly City initiative. Such an agreement will be signed between Novopolotsk Town Hall and the UNICEF office in Novopolotsk on 10 June, BelTA learned from the ideological department of Novopolotsk Town Hall.

Partaking of Novopolotsk in this initiative will prove the town’s endeavor to take care of children, create favorable conditions for their birth and education, ensure high level of health care services, support child and youth initiatives.

It is worth saying that Novopolotsk has become the first town where town authorities provide material aid to families with newborn infants. Novopolotsk has proclaimed 2011 the Year of Youth. Town authorities are eager to open a youth job center, promote secondary employment for students, help school-leavers find a job taking into account the town’s economic interests. Special attention is given to promoting healthy way of life and respect to family values.

The UNICEF’s Child Friendly Cities global initiative serves as a kind of a tool, which helps reduce the negative impact of urban environment on a child’s life and maximizes the opportunities that a city provides. This initiative is implemented in Europe and other regions of the world. In 2000 the International Secretariat of Child Friendly Cities was established in Italy. The primary objective of the secretariat is to carry out researches, exchange information and experience, cooperate with local authorities, NGOs and youth organizations.

To date partaking in this initiative are Pinsk, Pruzhany, Borisov, Dobrush, and Soligorsk. In 2011 Minsk, Brest, Lida, Novopolotsk, Gomel, Shklov will join them.