Novopolotsk to become truly child friendly city
By Darya Rimasheva
The initiative aims to care for children, creating favourable conditions for their birth and education, healthcare and wellbeing, including support for children’s and youth initiatives.
Novopolotsk is the first city in the region whose local authorities provide material aid to families with newborn infants and has proclaimed 2011 to be the Year of Youth. Its city authorities are eager to open a youth job centre, while promoting secondary employment for students, helping school-leavers choose professions which may benefit the city.
Novopolostk City Executive Committee has signed an agreement with UNICEF, whose global initiative — Child Friendly City — aims to reduce the negative impact of urban living on children, maximising the opportunities of city life. Participation in the initiative contributes to the fulfilment of obligations taken on by a country in signing the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Child Friendly City initiative is being realised in London, Paris, Munich, Buenos Aires, and in such countries as France, Spain, Italy, Holland, Sweden and Brazil. All are uniting under national and international networks. In Belarus, Pinsk, Pruzhany, Borisov, Dobrush and Soligorsk are already taking part, with Minsk, Brest, Lida, Novopolotsk, Gomel and Shklov joining this year.