Recently the Lib Dem group on Hull City Council passed a Council Motion resolving to sign up to the UNICEF programme to be recognised as a Child Friendly City. You can access the full motion here.
Below is a template motion based on the one moved in Hull that you can use to take the first step to becoming a UNICEF-recognised child friendly city.
Council Motion:
Council notes that to achieve UNICEF’s child-friendly status, COUNCIL NAME will have to show that it is a place where more children feel safe, heard, cared-for, and able to flourish.
Council believes that members of our communities and city will only benefit through the principles of child friendly city status being adopted. These include:
- Non-discrimination
- Best interests of the child
- The inherent right to life, survival and development
- Respect for the views of the child
- Equity and inclusion
- Accountability and transparency
- Public Participation
- Effectiveness and responsiveness
- Adaptability and sustainability
Council believes that these principles are already in operation across our city and simply need to be clarified and adopted into a plan specific to the aim of making the city more child friendly.
Council believes that the adoption of these principles will allow all sectors of the council structure to deliver more play space, safer roads, cleaner and greener neighbourhoods, cycle infrastructure, better education, child safety – all areas which will benefit families and communities and allow AREA NAME to become an even better place to live and work.
Council believes that consultation is vital to developing our communities, where children and young people can:
- Have a say about decisions that affect them.
- Express their views freely and are encouraged and supported to do that.
- Access good health, education, transport, and other service.
- Feel safe, prioritised, and protected from discrimination and harm.
- Enjoy public spaces and meet other children and young people freely
Council resolves to:
- Require the Chief Executive to sign COUNCIL NAME up to the UNICEF programme and begin the process to become a recognised Child Friendly city.
- To implement/ improve the principles of the UNICEF status, within this motion, as soon as possible
- To develop a consultation strategy which includes the principles of young people inclusion as stated above.