Municipal Bodies Embrace Children’s Rights

Ilija Talev

Social Policy Specialist Ilija Talev explains how the idea was introduced in Belize a few weeks ago.

Ilija Talev, Social Policy Specialist, UNICEF

“In August of this year, 2014, all the mayors met here in Belize City in order to promote a study and an assessment which was done on the capacities and human resources, the financial capacities of municipalities to be involved, actively engaged in promoting sustainable development and sustainable development projects within their municipalities.  Upon that event, in doing that event UNICEF actually introduced the concept of Child Friendly Cities and presented this global movement and presented some of the achievement of this global movement in other countries.  Mayors immediately accepted that idea and accepted to implement that project here in Belize.  Less than one month later, it’s only going to be the twenty-sixth of September, tomorrow, the mayors have accepted to publicly declare their commitment to making their municipalities child friendly.  So what will happen tomorrow morning at nine o’clock is that simultaneously all mayors will read out and proclaim, declare their full commitment towards moving towards a child friendly municipality and eventually becoming one by fulfilling all the conditions that I previously talked about, about the quality of life of children living in that municipality.  Tomorrow at nine a.m., municipal mayors, and it will also be broadcasted on national television, municipal mayors in all nine municipalities will sign that declaration and commit to that declaration and we, as UNICEF, will stand ready to support municipal initiatives to make sure that the activities that are in the framework of this child friendly municipalities project will include everything from improving the quality of schools, improving the quality of services for all children, reducing violence against children, all other aspects of children’s lives supported by our joint efforts.”

A live simulcast of the launch will be carried on Channel Five on Friday morning from the Belize Elementary School’s auditorium where addresses will be delivered by Mayor Darrell Bradley, UNDP representative Roberto Valent, UNICEF representative Ivan Yerovi and Minister of Local Government Godwin Hulse.