Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah
KUCHING (July 12): All municipalities in Sarawak have now signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to implement United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI), said Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah.
The Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development said this comes after Kota Samarahan Municipal Council (MPKS) and Bintulu Development Authority (BDA) signed the MoUs recently.
The two municipalities joined the pioneers, namely Kuching North City Commission (DBKU), Kuching South City Council (MBKS), Miri City Council (MCC), Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) and Sibu Municipal Council (SMC), bringing the total to seven municipalities in Sarawak that have inked their interest to implement the CFCI.
Fatimah said with this development, Sarawak now has the greatest number of participating local authorities for CFCI in Malaysia.
“With seven participating municipalities, there will be wider access to realise the rights of children in tandem with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) to ensure their participation in local decision-making.
“To realise this, Unicef Malaysia has commissioned and funded a Situational Analysis Survey to assess the readiness of the respective participating local authority based on CFCI parameters.
“Upon completion of the survey, a CFCI Action Plan is drawn up for each local authority to implement and comply with before recognition as a Child Friendly City can be awarded between two to five years,” she said in a press release congratulating MPKS and BDA today.
Fatimah pointed out the survey has been completed for the pioneering municipalities, with implementation of action plans slated for the second half of 2024 while compliance assessments for CFC would start in April 2026.
Fatimah said with the implementation of CFCI, a child or young people council comprising of children and young people aged 18 or younger within the jurisdiction of the local authority will be set up.
“This would ensure a voice on children’s rights, provide insights into what matters to children and young people and raise awareness to help other children understand the work of the local authorities that benefit them.
“This is agreat milestone for Sarawak, as we advance the rights of children through their active involvement and participation in the children’s council. This inclusive participation by young people in local decision-making is going to change the landscape of age-friendly and liveable cities in the participating municipalities across Sarawak,” she said.
