Child-friendly municipality – We recognise children's rights
„I therefore encourage the residents of Hafnarfjörður to visit the UNICEF website, where they can find important information regarding the participation of children and their rights,“ says Þórunn Þórarinsdóttir, project manager for the child-friendly municipality at Hafnarfjörður Municipality. The town aims to receive recognition as a child-friendly community later in the year.
Hafnarfjörður implements the Convention on the Rights of the Child
„A Child-Friendly Local Authority is an initiative that supports the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child throughout the local authority's governance and activities. The project is based on UNICEF's international Child Friendly Cities Initiative, which has been implemented in thousands of municipalities around the world since 1996,“ says Þórunn Þórarinsdóttir, project manager for the child-friendly municipality at Hafnarfjörður Municipality. The article was published in To the youth of Hafnarfjörður, the latest issue of Fjarðarfrétta.
„The Municipality of Hafnafjörður has been on a journey in partnership with UNICEF to implement the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into its governance and operations. This is done with the best interests of all the municipality's children and young people as a guiding principle.“ The implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child involves the municipality's commitment to use the Convention as a guiding principle in its work, and for the five core principles to run like a red thread through its administration and activities.
The five core elements, all of which are related to children's rights, are:
Children's situation mapped
„The steering group for a child-friendly municipality has followed UNICEF's implementation cycle. The status and well-being of children in Hafnarfjörður has been mapped. Based on the baseline assessment, an action plan with 19 actions was developed. This includes, among other things, increasing the visibility of the fact that children can voice their suggestions and empowering the Youth Council. It also involves raising its profile and providing rights education for staff, children and residents of Hafnarfjörður. The Hafnarfjörður Youth Council is a major part of the project; children and young people possess invaluable knowledge about what is being done well and what is not, and their participation is therefore crucial. The Municipality of Hafnarfjörður aims to receive its certification in August 2025.“
Important education at UNICEF
„I therefore encourage the residents of Hafnarfjörður to visit the UNICEF website. www.unicef.is where important education can be sought regarding the participation of children and their rights.“