Songpa District Obtains Upper-Level Certification as UNICEF Child Friendly City

Leaping to a Higher Level After First Certification in 2016!
"Songpa, a Sustainable Child-Friendly City"

[Asia Economy, reporter Park Jongil] Songpa District (headed by Mayor Park Sungsoo) obtained the upper-level certification for 'UNICEF Child Friendly City' on June 25, 2021.

A 'Child Friendly City' certified by UNICEF refers to a local government that ensures children's rights are protected in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and has an administrative system in place that reflects the voices and opinions of all children in the community.

Since first receiving Child Friendly City certification in 2016, Songpa District has been implementing policy goals to create a 'city where children are happy,' focusing on establishing a child protection system as outlined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, managing performance indicators, promoting child-friendly specialized projects, and providing education on children's rights.

The upper-level certification that the district obtained this time is a re-evaluation of child-friendly projects by local governments that have already received Child Friendly City certification. This certification is valid for four years, until June 24, 2025.

Notably, Songpa District is the fourth among 243 local governments nationwide, and the second among Seoul's autonomous districts, to receive this upper-level certification.

Songpa District has conducted child-friendliness surveys and child impact assessments, and over the past four years has operated a Children and Youth Participation Committee and a Youth Assembly Program. The district also formed a 'Dream Tree Reporter Group' for elementary school students in the area, promoting various forms of social participation for children through field learning experiences and newsletter publication.

In addition, despite the COVID-19 situation, the district held both online and offline policy discussion forums involving over 100 children and adolescents, ensuring their right to participate in policy-making processes and actively promoting healthy self-governance activities. As a result, Songpa District has been recognized for enhancing the social participation capacity of children and adolescents and leading the way in building a sustainable child-friendly city.

Furthermore, every year the district applies for the 'Seoul Child Friendly City Regional Specialized Project' and promotes child-friendly projects tailored to the unique characteristics of the region. This year, the 'Youth Future Project: Fall in Love with Maker' was selected as a specialized project, supporting the development of future talent through educational programs such as coding, 3D printing, and digital design.

Park Sungsoo, Mayor of Songpa District, stated, "Songpa District has the largest population of children and adolescents (ages 0-18) among Seoul's autonomous districts, with about 107,000," and added, "We will continue to strive for the creation of a sustainable child-friendly city so that all children and adolescents in Songpa can strengthen their capacity for social participation as rights-holders."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.