UNICEF Calls for “Child-friendly” Municipalities in BiH

In the view of local elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, scheduled for October 7, 2012, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is urging candidates and political parties to pay special attention to the children, their well-being, and needs in their programs. “Children have to be placed at the center of the political campaign. They represent the best investment to break the cycle of poverty. Municipal authorities have a key role to play by providing a protective and stimulating environment for the development of every child,” said UNICEF Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina Florence Bauer.

UNICEF points out that, even though many positive steps have been made in ensuring children’s rights since Bosnia and Herzegovina ratified the Convention on the rights of the child in 1992, these issues have still not become a priority of politicians in the country. UNICEF is urging all political candidates in the upcoming local elections to be sensitive to the needs of the children and include the following in their program:

• Provide adequate resources to achieve every child’s rights to health, education, child protection, and social protection.
• Support quality education for all, providing children with free school transportation, clean water and sanitation, heating and healthy school meals in all schools and pre-school institutions.
• Provide inclusive pre-school education to all children at least one year prior to enrolling in school.
• Provide resources for early childhood development services targeted for children aged 0 to 3.
• Establish mechanisms for and support active participation of youth and children in all decision-making processes relative to their rights.

UNICEF also plans on organizing debates in 11 municipalities with children, their parents, and the political candidates to discuss these issues. One such debate already took place in the municipality of Tesanj where municipal mayor candidates answered questions by primary school students, who put forward ideas and suggestions on how to make Tesanj a child-friendly municipality. With statements like “I want us to have a mayor who will serve the citizens, rather than the other way around,” children exercised their right to speech and the candidates promised to take into consideration all the suggestions – if they are elected.

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