Petaling Jaya is First UNICEF Child Friendly City in Malaysia

Petaling Jaya, 13 October 2023 – Petaling Jaya has been recognised as the first UNICEF Child Friendly City in Malaysia. To receive this recognition, the city demonstrated its commitment to advancing children’s rights while developing the city.

“Our City of Petaling Jaya comprises of a rapidly aging society and this is all the more reason for its appreciation of the need to nurture vibrant children that will represent its ever-advancing future. We recognize that all children must be afforded the irrevocable right to live a quality life so that they are able to achieve their full potential. With the formation of the City of Petaling Jaya’s Child Council and its sustained progression and participation, we are thankful and proud to be recognized as the first UNICEF-led Child Friendly City in Malaysia,” said Yang Berusaha Tuan Mohamad Azhan Bin Md. Amir,
Mayor of Petaling Jaya.

“Petaling Jaya has been recognized today as a city that upholds its obligation to children's rights, as defined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child. UNICEF is proud to partner with Petaling Jaya on its sustainable development journey, as children are at the heart of all that we do,” said Robert Gass, UNICEF Representative to Malaysia.

To be recognized as a UNICEF Child Friendly City, the city council demonstrated their commitment to child rights via several projects and programmes in line with the initiative including:

1. Working with, funding and supporting the Petaling Jaya Child Council (PJCC) so that the views of children and adolescents are heard on practices and policies that concern them.
2. Partnership with PJCC to create the Child Protection and Participation Policy which demonstrated the commitment to eliminating discrimination and has a positive impact on children.
3. Working with PJCC on the design of the inclusive playground in Taman Jaya.

The Child Friendly City Initiative (CFCI) is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically Goal 11 for Sustainable Cities and Communities, Goal 10 to Reduce Inequalities and Goal 5 for Gender Equality.

With this recognition, Petaling Jaya joins a network of hundreds of Child Friendly Cities in 40 countries across the world.

The Petaling Jaya City Council and UNICEF signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2020 on the CFCI. This is the pilot phase of CFCI in Malaysia. In 2022, Petaling Jaya became the first city in Malaysia to achieve the Candidate City status, and is now officially recognized as a Child-Friendly City. This recognition is valid for 24 months from October 2023 up to September 2025. The city will continue to collaborate with UNICEF Malaysia in developing its Plan of Action for the next phase of implementation, and will set up a child rights monitoring system in 2024.

Five other cities in Malaysia, specifically in Sarawak, have signed Memorandums of Understanding with UNICEF to embark on the CFCI. They are Miri, Sibu, Kuching South, Kuching North and Padawan.

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Note to Editor
About Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI)
CFCI is a UNICEF-led initiative that supports municipal governments in realizing the rights of children at the local level, based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The initiative was launched in 1996 to make cities livable places for all. It is also a network that brings together government and other stakeholders such as civil society organizations, the private sector, academia, media and, importantly, children themselves who wish to make their cities and communities more child-friendly.

Learn more about the Child Friendly Cities Initiative:
https://www.childfriendlycities.org/what-is-the-child-friendly-cities-initiative