UNICEF and Wanju-gun Develop Nation's First Child Rights Ombudsperson Operation Model

Expectations for Wanju-gun, a Child-Friendly City, to Lead the Establishment of a Child Protection Model

[Wanju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Han-ho] UNICEF is partnering with Wanju County to develop an operational model for the ‘Child Rights Ombudsperson,’ including a status analysis, operational model, and pilot operation to protect children's rights.

On the 29th, Wanju County and the UNICEF Korea Committee held a kickoff meeting to develop the nation’s first Child Rights Ombudsperson operational plan and discussed future directions and implementation plans.

At the meeting, Professor Kim Woong-soo of Hanil Jangsin University reported on the development of the Child Rights Ombudsperson manual. Based on a status analysis of domestic and international Child Rights Ombudspersons, the research team decided to develop an operational manual and establish a five-year plan for the Wanju Child Ombudsperson Office.

The UNICEF Korea Committee plans to hold a forum in November this year to gather opinions from local government officials nationwide and children, and complete the manual development by December.

Wanju County will pilot operate the Child Ombudsperson Office by 2022 according to the completed manual, and based on the results, the UNICEF Korea Committee plans to distribute the Child Rights Ombudsperson manual to local governments creating child-friendly cities.

This is significant as Wanju County will play a leading role in developing the operational model for the Child Rights Ombudsperson.

The Child Ombudsperson Office will operate as a dedicated advocacy organization for children and youth under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, engaging in activities such as promoting child rights, responding to violations, monitoring child rights, conducting child impact assessments, and providing legal support.

It will perform comprehensive tasks including policy proposals and system improvements based on children’s opinions, as well as counseling related to rights violations.

Meanwhile, on August 30, Wanju County and the UNICEF Korea Committee signed a business agreement to develop the nation’s first Child Rights Ombudsperson operational plan.

Wanju=Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Han-ho stonepeak@asiae.co.kr

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