Child and Youth Participation – Options for Action

Child Friendly Cities Initiative

Highlights

Participation is a fundamental right of every child – children of all ages, from all communities, of all abilities, and in all parts of society.

Children’s participation is integral to the creation and implementation of the Child-friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) at the local level, where children’s active citizenship can be exercised more easily and immediately than at the national level.

The perspectives of children are essential to ensure that the policies, services and facilities they use or affect them reflect and address their concerns, ideas and priorities. Children have unique insight into their own lives, which will offer important perspectives that are likely to be missed if excluded.

The “Child and Youth Participation – Options for Action” offers guidance and suggestions on how children and young people can participate in decisions involving their lives through the CFCI and, more broadly, within their local communities.

This brief introduces the principles of meaningful and inclusive child participation and offers options for action throughout the CFCI cycle, from setting up the CFCI to evaluating progress. The Guideline also includes a CFCI Child Safeguarding Guidance.

The Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) is part of the Programme of Cooperation between the Ministry of Interior of the Islamic Republic of Iran and UNICEF Iran.

CFCI Child and Youth Participation - Options for Action
Author(s)
UNICEF
Publication date
Languages
English, Persian