EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — El Paso City Council approved the initial steps to join the ranks of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)-recognized child-friendly cities, which is a global initiative focused on empowering children’s rights in urban and community settings, the City of El Paso said in a press release on Monday, April 28.
The City says the child-friendly cities initiative is structured around five key outcome goals, which are the following:
- Ensuring every child is valued and respected
- Providing children with a platform to be heard in public decisions
- Guaranteeing access to quality services
- Fostering safe environments
- Encouraging family life, play, and leisure
The City says it will submit a “comprehensive readiness assessment” to UNICEF and “establish a synthesis action plan to outline priorities and actions for improving the lives of children in El Paso.”
“The City is also dedicated to eliminating discrimination and ensuring equity in all policies and actions,” the City said.
The initiative, launched in 1996 by UNICEF and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), aims to build environments where “children’s voices, needs, and rights are prioritized and integrated into public policies and governance structures,” the City said.
The City is now working toward UNICEF’s Child-Friendly City designation, which would officially recognize the community’s “commitment to fostering environments that promote the safety, well-being, and participation of children in every aspect of public life,” the City said.
“The resolution to pursue this designation will lead to the formation of key initiatives, including a Youth Advisory Board and a 40-member steering committee, ‘Para Niños,’ which will guide the City through the application process,” the City said.
The City says it will officially launch the Youth Advisory Board on Thursday, May 1, and will be holding an event from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. that Thursday at La Nube, 301 E. Main Drive.
“Supported in part by the El Paso Community Foundation, the Youth Advisory Board will serve as a platform for young people in El Paso to provide input, share their perspectives, and actively engage in shaping policies that impact their lives. This board will play an essential role in ensuring that children’s voices are heard throughout the process of becoming a Child Friendly City,” the City said.
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