Six Belarus’ cities to join UNICEF Child Friendly City project in 2011

Six Belarusian cities will join the UNICEF Child Friendly City initiative, BelTA learned from the UNICEF office in Belarus.

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

The UNICEF Child Friendly City 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 opportunities that a city provides.

A child friendly city is neither a model of an ideal city nor a special award. Participants of the project are eager to take care of children. The concept helps cities become more child-friendly in all avenues.

The UNICEF initiative is different from other social programs as the children themselves take an active part in the program.

The child friendly city is a city which takes into account all needs and priorities of children. The budget is formed with due account of children’s demands. The children partake in decision-making. It is the city where all children may live happily.

On 1 June the town of Pruzhany hosts the session of the Coordination Committee to implement the Child Friendly City project. Partaking in the session will be UNICEF Chairman in Belarus Yury Oksamitny and local authorities.