Imatra has set its goals towards UNICEF's Child-Friendly Municipality status

The goals and presentation of the city's action plan will be handed over to UNICEF at a follow-up meeting in April. UNICEF will get familiar with the plan after the meeting and give final instructions for the city's measures. After the approval of the plan, the real work begins towards the set goals and towards the Child-friendly municipality status. The time for measures is two years.

Measures to develop children's rights in Imatra will broadly affect the city's operations, from the grassroots level to decision-making.

- In order to be able to promote children's rights at Imatra, we need to know what children's rights are. This is actually the whole idea of ​​a child-friendly municipality. Children's opportunity to influence and participate more in the development of the city will also be increased, Imatra's Child-friendly municipality coordinator Kirsi Mäyrä says.

1. CHILDREN'S RIGHTS IN MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS: the municipality's office holders, employees, trustees and key stakeholders have been familiarized with the rights of the child. The rights of the child are part of the municipality's orientation programs.
2. CHILD BENEFITS: children as a group. The municipality has clear guidelines in place to support the implementation and systematic implementation of the Child Impact Assessment (LAVA). The assessment of child effects is done together by a group of qualified professionals.
3. THE RIGHT TO LIFE AND DEVELOPMENT: the municipality ensures that there is at least one safe adult in every child's life, whom the child can trust and who supports the child in growth and development.
4. A GOAL CHOSEN BY IMATRA CHILDREN: services aimed at children prevent bullying and promote community. In addition, children's emotional and interaction skills are promoted in children's growth environments.
5. PARTICIPATION: in the planning of the urban environment, children's experiences and views are investigated and taken into account. This is how it works in different stages of the process and in different planning tasks, such as land use planning and zoning and otherwise when planning public spaces.

Imatra.fi/UNICEF Child-friendly municipality model

The goals have been formed on the basis of the extensive initial survey of the current situation carried out last year. The goals are decided by the coordination group of the Child-friendly municipality model, which includes city trustees and employees, Imatra parish, Mannerheim Children's Protection Association, Pelastakaa Lapset ry, South Karelia Welfare Region, South Karelia Sports and Sports Association, and representatives of children and youth.

For more information:

Child-friendly municipality coordinator Kirsi Mäyrä, city of Imatra, tel. 020 617 2248, cherry.mayraimatra.fi (kirsi[dot]mayra[at]imatra[dot]fi)