A Child Friendly City places the rights of its children at the very centre of municipal planning and programming strategies and is committed to reducing the socio-economic disparities that directly affect urban and poor children s rights. The Child Friendly Cities initiative provides programming approaches to reach unreached children in urban areas. The publication Partnerships to Create Child-Friendly Cities , provides a recent summary and analysis. Real impact in the lives of children and youth around the world will largely depend on the degree to which local policy-makers commit themselves to the realisation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child at the local level. Goals of the Child Friendly City Initiative Healthy and safe environments - Children and their families must have easy, safe and affordable access to basic infrastructure, safe water and sanitation and solid waste removal.
Many urban areas lack space for recreation, learning, social interaction and cultural expression.
Standards can be developed at least to ensure minimum level of access to such surroundings. Guaranteed secure lives - Local governments must provide children and their families with a sustainable future under equitable social and economic conditions, and protect them from the devastating effects of environmental hazards and natural disasters. Access to quality basic services for all -There must be provision for access to health information and preventive and curative services, including mental health care, and to emergency care in the event of injury or acute illness. Special attention for disadvantaged children -Large groups of children that need special care are often not reached by municipal policies. Street children, disabled or traumatised children are often seen as outcasts and become isolated from society.