KathmanduMetropolitan City (KMC) and UNICEF commenced the “Clean, Green and Child-friendly Kathmandu City” initiative in an event conducted in the historic Ratna Park. The eventalso marked 25 years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

The Convention is the most widely accepted human rights treaty in history and offers a vision of the world where all children survive and develop to their full potential without discrimination, and are protected, respected and encouraged to participate in decisions that affect their lives.

The event also included foundation stone laying of child-friendly toilets in the park by children as well as KMC and UNICEF officials and the unveiling of the branding of Sajha buses with child-friendly logos. Participants also signed a pledge to promote the “Clean, Green and Child-friendly Kathmandu City” initiative. The foundation stone laying of the toilets also marked the World Toilet Day celebrated 19 November and seeks to promote the construction, maintenance and use of public toilet in urban areas.

Working under the purview of the Government’s Local Governance and Community Development Programme (LGCDP) and guided by its core component of  Child/Environment Friendly Local Governance, UNICEF and KMC will work together to promote Child-Friendly Cities Initiatives. The event being kicked off on the 20th is one of the nationwide initiatives towards the development of child-friendly spaces in the country to mark 25 years of the CRC. This has been spurred by the emerging issue of shrinking open spaces for children to play in urban areas.

As the cooperation unfolds, the two institutions will identify areas and activities that will bring significant impact on the children, adolescents and women in Kathmandu city and later in other urban areas of Nepal. Municipalities around the nation are allocating green spaces for children as well as working towards establishing child-friendly municipalities.

In Bharatpur municipality, there are plans to plant trees in the children’s parks while wards 9 and 12 of the municipality will be declared child labor free on 20 November.

In Biratnagar, the municipality today pledged to provide support to theHrideyendra Children’s Park. There are also plans afoot to havetree plantation at the premises of BalMandir.

Similarly on 22 November,Nepalgunj municipality will be celebrating CRC@25 by allocating child-friendly space, including a playground at the KheldaiSikne Kendra, a drop-in education center for out-of-school children.