Brescia: “Child and Adolescent Friendly City” Program, the process for the city’s membership has begun
Brescia: "Children and Adolescent Friendly City", the process for Brescia's membership has begun
Brescia: “Child and Adolescent Friendly City” Program, the process for the city’s membership has begun
The City Council approved the membership of the Municipality of Brescia to the program “Child and Adolescent Friendly Cities”, delegating to the Board the task of implementing the consequent obligations, including the approval of the draft Protocol.
Subsequently, the Municipal Council approved the Protocol of understanding that will soon be signed with the Italian Committee for UNICEF – Ets Foundation and that represents the first step to join the path that UNICEF proposes to local administrations that want to build cities on the scale of children and adolescents.
It starts like this the process to obtain the “Child and Adolescent Friendly City” accreditation, which will be long and participatory, will involve most of the Departments and includes 9 steps:
1. Adopt the adhesion resolution and sign the memorandum of understanding
2. Establish coordination between departments
3. Carry out an analysis of the condition of childhood and adolescence in the city that allows for an “ante” and “post” evaluation of the impact of the policies undertaken
4. Develop a comprehensive and shared strategy by identifying priorities within the five objective areas
5. Translating the strategy into the DUP and budget
6. Establish a coordination body between administration and civil society
7. Implementing the strategy into policies
8. Prepare a periodic report to evaluate and illustrate the progress made and the steps still to be taken
9. Accreditation is obtained by completing all the required phases (valid for two years).
Now then an analysis of the condition of childhood and adolescence at municipal level will be developed, on the basis of which impact indicators will be identified to evaluate the policies undertaken and develop programming strategies.
Through programming tools (in particular through the Single Programming Document), policies will be developed to promote and protect the rights of childhood and adolescence in the social, cultural, scholastic, sporting and urban planning fields, coordinating the contribution of the competent Departments.
A budget will be prepared in line with the strategy developed, with expenditure items dedicated to policies for childhood and adolescence, and an ad hoc body will be created, composed of representatives of the Executive, the Council, representatives of the Third Sector, competent in matters of childhood and adolescence, which will support the Municipal Administration in developing an action strategy for childhood and adolescence and which will also play a role in monitoring the impact of the policies adopted.
A non-occasional mechanism will therefore be created, capable of ensuring continuity of action, to institutionalize the listening of children and their participation in decision-making processes in matters that may concern them, according to the indications of the UN Committee on Children and Adolescents.
The aim is to pursue concrete and gradual results, which can be implemented and monitored with a long-term commitment. Once accreditation is obtained, the Municipal Administration can start the process again to obtain its renewal.
The Italian Committee for UNICEF, responsible for the evaluation of the Program and the recognition of accreditation, will undertake to provide support and technical assistance in the implementation of the path, to offer training through the implementation of programs aimed at administrators and technicians to develop policies in line with the principles of the UN Convention, to accompany the process of monitoring the path and enhance the commitment of the Municipality also through communication tools.
It should be remembered that the Municipality of Brescia, already in 2009, it had established the City Council of Children with the aim of giving voice to the needs of the girls and boys and Brescians of the IV and V classes of primary schools and of all the classes of lower secondary schools. Since 2023, moreover, the municipal administration has equipped itself with the figure of the Guarantor of the rights of childhood and adolescence.
Joining the “Child and Adolescent Friendly Cities” programme therefore represents a tool to further develop the policies implemented so far on these issues. The Municipality of Brescia intends, in fact, to develop policies to promote the well-being of minors based on the principles set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of Children and Adolescents, among which, in particular, the principle of non-discrimination (art.2), the principle of the best interests of the child and adolescent (art.3), the principle of life, survival and development (art.6) and the principle of participation and listening (art.12).
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