Haenam County Holds Citizen Participation Child-Friendly City Roundtable

Over 60 Participants, Including Children and Parents, Share Their Opinions

South Jeolla Province's Haenam County announced on July 31 that it recently held the "2nd Citizen Participation Child-Friendly City Roundtable" in the main conference room of the county office, gathering a range of opinions to create a community where children are respected and can grow up safely.

This roundtable was organized as a citizen participation program to implement practical policies after Haenam County received UNICEF's Child-Friendly City certification in June. More than 60 people attended the event, including about 40 local children, parents, and professionals working in child-related fields.

Haenam County held the "2nd Citizens' Participation Roundtable Discussion on Child-Friendly Cities" to gather various opinions for community development. Photo by Haenam County

The discussion was conducted over three hours, focusing on six key areas: play and culture, participation and respect, safety and protection, health and welfare, educational environment, and family life. Participants freely exchanged their views throughout the session.

Attendees proposed practical and specific policy improvements, such as establishing free shelters to escape heat and cold, expanding safe indoor play spaces, increasing career and job experience opportunities for elementary, middle, and high school students, supporting travel expenses or counseling programs to promote family communication, and ensuring the right to education for reclusive adolescents.

The county plans to organize and analyze the opinions presented during the roundtable and incorporate them into the "Basic Implementation Plan for Creating a Child-Friendly City." In the second half of the year, the county will further develop its policies through various projects, including child rights education, building public-private cooperation systems, a children's rights film festival, and mobile child-friendly school programs.

A county official stated, "The diverse opinions proposed at this roundtable will serve as a valuable foundation for future policy implementation," and added, "We will continue to pursue relevant policies so that the future children dream of can become a reality in Haenam County."

Meanwhile, the UNICEF Child-Friendly City certification obtained by the county is awarded to local governments that place the highest value on children's rights and welfare and establish policies and environments to realize these principles. The certification is valid for four years, until 2029, and the county plans to continue promoting strategies to realize children's rights in accordance with UNICEF guidelines.