The Canary Islands City Council and Unicef signed a collaboration agreement as the first official step to initiate the protocol that allows Granadilla de Abona to become a Child Friendly City. The mayor, José Domingo Regalado, and the president of the agency of the United Nations Organization (UN) in the Canary Islands, Rosa Gloria Suárez, signed the document that gives rise to continue developing the work to achieve this distinction, in favor of children and adolescents in the municipality.
María de la O Gaspar, as councilor responsible for the area, highlights the promotion of children’s participation in decision-making in schools, neighborhoods and the municipality, in general, which has been carried out by the Consistory for several years. Work that includes advancing in the promotion of children’s rights as one of its challenges. All this contributes to Granadilla de Abona being eligible to be considered a Child Friendly City, a distinction awarded by Unicef Spain.
José Domingo Regalado argues that steps have been taken to promote greater involvement of minors in the decisions that affect them, so that they are heard and so that they have a greater voice in municipal life. “The purpose is to build a municipality committed to children in the hands of professionals and technicians in the field and to be in the official registry of Child Friendly Cities,” he reflects.
The councilor values the work carried out by Social Services, that «for several years it has promoted children’s participation in decision-making through programs in educational centres. This is the case of the one developed in the CEIP La Pasada called With my voice, my rights, as well as other initiatives applied in schools and at the municipal level».
Rosa Gloria Suárez encouraged the political representatives and professionals present at the signing of the agreement to continue along these lines and involve boys and girls in drawing up the Local Plan for Child and Adolescent Care (PLIA), as well as in the decision-making of the municipality that they want for them.
Set up a child and adolescent participation body, an internal coordination space and a local childhood plan They make up the basis that allows you to request accreditation and to promote mainly five rights: to be valued and respected fairly; take into account their opinions and needs; have access to quality basic social services; live in a safe, secure and clean environment and have opportunities to enjoy family life, play and leisure.
The Child Friendly City distinction is awarded by Unicef Spain for a period of four years. It guarantees compliance with the requirements established in the bases, assuming a series of commitments by signing an agreement, communication of progress in the implementation of its local plan for children and adolescents, among others.
