One Step Closer to a Happier Gwangjin for Children...

Gwangjin-gu Achieves UNICEF Child-Friendly City Advanced Certification... One Step Closer to a Happy Gwangjin for Children

Under the Four-Year Strategic Plan for Child-Friendly Cities, 32 Departments Devote Themselves to 154 Child-Friendly Projects

Newly Formed Child Participation Committee Composed of Children Reflects Policies from Children's Perspectives

Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Kyung-ho) achieved the remarkable feat of receiving the 'UNICEF Child-Friendly City Advanced Certification' from UNICEF on the 5th.

In celebration, the district held a UNICEF Child-Friendly City Advanced Certification Ceremony on the 20th.

The ceremony was attended by district council members, members of the Child-Friendly Policy Coordination Committee, the Child Participation Committee composed of children?the main protagonists of the day?and children from the Gwangjin-gu Office workplace daycare, sharing the joy together.

A UNICEF-certified Child-Friendly City is designated to local governments that fully realize the rights of children as outlined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and have established a child-friendly environment.

Gwangjin-gu, first certified as a Child-Friendly City in 2018, has now obtained the advanced certification, becoming the 11th district in Seoul to do so. The certification period is four years, from June 5, 2024, to June 4, 2027.

With the advanced certification, the district gains the right to use the UNICEF Child-Friendly City certification logo, receives a UNICEF certificate and plaque, and qualifies to participate in various international events, exchanges, and cooperation opportunities as a member of the UNICEF Child-Friendly City global network.

The district is promoting projects befitting the status of a Child-Friendly City to meet the increasing social interest in guaranteeing children's rights and the changing needs of children due to environmental changes.

Under the four-year strategic plan for Child-Friendly Cities, this year, 32 departments are dedicated to advancing 154 child-friendly projects.

Additionally, to ensure projects focus on children, the district annually prepares a child-friendly budget book and takes steps toward expanding children's participation rights and enhancing their rights through events such as the Child and Youth Policy Idea Contest and Child Rights Week.

To spread the culture of children's right to play, the district has operated a traveling pop-up playground since 2022. Furthermore, a new Child Participation Committee, where children directly participate in policymaking and express their opinions, has been formed and is operating this year.

Alongside this, to raise awareness of children's rights, the district continuously conducts outreach child rights education for elementary, middle, and high school students and the general public, as well as promotional activities through SNS, the official website, and campaigns.

Kim Kyung-ho, Mayor of Gwangjin-gu, said, “I am pleased and grateful that our multifaceted efforts to create a world where children can dream and a happy Gwangjin-gu have been recognized,” adding, “We will strive to show a more advanced appearance with projects and policies worthy of the advanced certification of a Child-Friendly City.”

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