Vileika joined the UNICEF initiative “Child Friendly City”

On June 1, 2021, the National Coordinator on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals together with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) held a field trip to Vileika on the occasion of the International Children’s Day. The event was also attended by Irina Velichko, Head of the Main Department of Multilateral Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus.
 
During the event, the signing ceremony of the Agreement on the accession of the city of Vileika to the UNICEF initiative “Child Friendly City” took place. Also during the event, 50 pulse oximeters were handed over to the Vileika District Hospital on behalf of the National Coordinator on achieving the SDGs. The action was carried out within the framework of the international assistance to Belarus within the framework of the UNDP/UNICEF/UNFPA project “Support to the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals Management Architecture in the Republic of Belarus-2”.
   
The initiative “Child Friendly Cities” has been implemented since 1996 in more than 900 cities around the world. In 2007, the initiative was launched in Belarus. After Vileika’s accession, 28 Belarusian cities, including Minsk, Gomel, Brest, Grodno and Mogilev, participate in the initiative and implement programs and projects aimed at reducing the negative impact of the urban environment on the life of a child, using its opportunities and advantages. A prerequisite is the direct participation of children in the development and implementation of relevant programs, taking into account the views of children and young people, their active participation in decision-making related to urban management and social well-being. To that end, youth parliaments have been set up and operate in cities. The National Center for Artistic Creativity of Children and Youth with the support of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus and the UNICEF Representative Office in the Republic of Belarus coordinates the implementation of the initiative in Belarus.