Surabaya (ANTARA) -
Surabaya City Government has shown a strong commitment to build a Child-Friendly City and is actively participating in the Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) organized by UNICEF. Four delegates from Surabaya will attend the international forum "Growing Up in Child Friendly Cities" to be held in Jinan, China from 23-26 September 2024.
The Mayor of Surabaya, Eri Cahyadi, stated that the forum aims to strengthen global initiatives to improve the quality of life for children in urban areas. The forum will be attended by various countries focused on building child-friendly cities.
"Around 150 to 200 participants, including governors, mayors, policymakers from East Asia, the Pacific, and Europe, as well as UNICEF staff, will take part in the forum," said Mayor Eri.
Surabaya's delegation includes a student named Moreno Zaky Rahmadhany, a member of the Surabaya Children's Forum and Monita Rizkia Taufani, the Chairperson of the Surabaya Children's Forum.
They will be accompanied by the Head of the Department of Women Empowerment, Child Protection, Population Control, and Family Planning (DP3APPKB), Ida Widayati, and the Head of the Department of the Education of Surabaya, Yusuf Masruh.
Ida Widayati, Head of DP3APPKB, explained that representatives from Surabaya will discuss various important topics such as public services for children, child budgeting, and strategies for building a more inclusive and safe city for children.
"This participation demonstrates Surabaya's commitment to realizing a child-friendly city by integrating children's interests into every policy and development program," said Ida.
She further explained that the delegation sent by the Surabaya City Government will be involved in several important discussion sessions highlighting the Surabaya’s success in implementing child-friendly programs.
"The Surabaya Children's Forum will discuss the importance of children's participation in the policy-making process. They will share stories about how children in Surabaya are actively involved in forums and activities that provide well-being for children," she explained.
Meanwhile, DP3APPKB will present how the city budget is prioritized for children's needs, including education, health, and the provision of safe and comfortable public facilities.
"We will share experiences about providing child-friendly public spaces, equitable access to education, and healthcare services that are easily accessible to children. In addition, we will also emphasize the importance of allocating special budgets for child-related programs," said Ida.
She continued, the Department of Education will raise the issue of child-friendly education. How the Surabaya City Government provides equitable and quality access to education, and how we create a safe and inclusive school environment.
On the other hand, the participation of Surabaya City representatives has been supported by the UNICEF Representative for Java Island, Arie Rukmantara. He views this forum as an important space to explore child-friendly governance.
"UNICEF has long been at the forefront of advocating for children's rights, as mandated by the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Child-friendly governance ensures that policies, budgets, and services are designed with the needs of children in mind," explained Arie.
He emphasized that children should be meaningfully involved in decision-making that impacts their lives. Children's voices must be heard and integrated into the decision-making process.
"We hope that Surabaya can continue to develop more child-friendly governance practices and inspire other cities," continued Arie.
He added that the Surabaya City Government's participation in this international forum is concrete evidence of the government's commitment to continuing to fight for children's rights.
"This is an opportunity to learn from other cities and strengthen cooperation in creating a better future for children," said Arie.
This forum will be an important venue for exchanging ideas and finding innovative solutions to the challenges of creating child-friendly cities in the future. With full support from the community, the delegation from Surabaya is ready to strengthen the city's role as a pioneer in the child-friendly city movement in Indonesia.
The city government, together with the Surabaya City Government, invites the public to support the Surabaya's delegation to China.
"Together we can make Surabaya a truly child-friendly city, where every child feels safe, valued, and has the opportunity to grow and develop well," he concluded. (ADV)
