Georgia
Child Friendly Cities Initiative
The Child Friendly Cities Initiative encourages local governments in Georgia to pay greater attention to meeting the rights of their youngest citizens
In October 2019, a delegation from Georgia participated in the Child Friendly Cities' Summit in Cologne, Germany, which coincided with the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Subsequently, the mayors of the three largest cities of Georgia, Tbilisi (the capital), Kutaisi, and Batumi signed a declaration, demonstrating their commitment to the Child-Friendly Cities Initiative and their aspiration to create cities that prioritize the well-being of children. In 2022, the city of Poti also joined the initiative, expanding its scope.
UNICEF has established Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with all four cities. As part of the collaboration between UNICEF and the municipalities, a comprehensive situational analysis of child rights protection was conducted. This analysis was performed with active participation of children, families with children, professionals working with children, and service providers. Reports summarizing the findings and recommendations of the situational analysis were developed.
Based on these findings, the municipalities developed their 3 years strategies for creating child-friendly cities, along with corresponding action plans. Batumi, Kutaisi, and Tbilisi municipalities organized focus groups and discussions with children and young people to ensure a consultative approach and incorporate their perspectives into the developed action plans. Currently, the Poti municipality is in the process of conducting situational analysis of child rights protection.
Following the implementation of the 2022 action plan, Kutaisi and Batumi Municipalities progressed to the next stage of the Child Friendly Cities Initiative, qualifying as Candidate Cities. The initiative in Georgia supports municipal governments in fulfilling children's rights at the local level, with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child serving as its foundation. Several notable initiatives were undertaken by the municipalities within the project framework, including:
- Providing child rights training to kindergartens in coordination with UNICEF's established Child Rights Centers in Kutaisi.
- Allocating and refurbishing a child-friendly room for 12–14-year-olds in Batumi municipality's Youth Center, with support from UNICEF.
- Establishing a space for psychological services within the Child Protection and Support Unit of the Kutaisi municipality, renovated and equipped with the UNICEF’s assistance. The unit also facilitates beneficiaries' participation in positive parenting training sessions.
- Increasing co-financing of healthcare and social services for children with severe diseases, as well as offering financial support to children diagnosed with cancer. Additionally, improving access to rehabilitation programs for children with autism spectrum disorder.
- Conducting a study on unmet social needs of families with children in the municipality of Kutaisi and Batumi and redesigning social programs based on the findings, with UNICEF's support.
- Establishing Youth Advisory Councils in Kutaisi, Batumi and Poti and augmenting funding for youth initiatives. Batumi municipality created a permanent youth council, consisting of 15 members, serving as a consultative body for the mayor on youth-related matters.
The criteria, to recognize participant cities as Child -Friendly were developed with active participation of municipalities. To be recognized as a child-friendly city, municipalities must meet the following criteria:
- Actively advocate for and raise awareness about child rights within the government and society.
- Enact child-friendly laws and policies and evaluate their impact on children.
- Develop a city-wide strategic action plan with clear budget allocation and accountability for implementation, ensuring equitable distribution of resources for children.
- Involve and respect the opinions and experiences of children and youth, recognizing them as partners, individual rights-holders, and equal, active citizens.
- Foster cross-sectoral coordination and establish strategic partnerships to maximize the impact of child-friendly policies and programs.
Building upon their progress and commitment to the Child-Friendly Cities Initiative, the municipalities (Batumi and Kutaisi) are currently in the process of developing their second-year plans, taking into consideration the criteria required for recognition as child-friendly cities.
COUNTRY FACTS
Population: 3,736,400
Pop. under 18: 900,732
CONTACT
Nino Davitashvili, Social Policy Officer, Decentralization, and Local Governance Program Lead n.davitashvili@unicef.org
UNICEF Georgia - 9 Eristavi Street, IV floor, UN House,
0179 Tbilisi, Georgia
LINK