Empowering Children through Urban Policy and Legislative Decision-Making Processes

Given the predominant youth demographic in urban areas, it has become critical to integrate child-responsive needs and priorities into governmental processes, policies, and laws at national, regional, and local levels. Achieving this effectively demands a shift towards actively engaging children in the decision-making process and creating urban standards and norms that prioritize their needs and perspectives.
In 2022, UNICEF and UN-Habitat jointly developed the Guidance on Child-Responsive Urban Policies, Laws, and Standards aiming to show how to empower children to participate in decisions that impact their lives, encompassing essential aspects as well as to initiate incorporation of children’s priorities into national, subnational and local regulatory documents.
The Guidance has undergone numerous consultative revisions since its presentation during WUF11. These changes have bolstered its efficacy as a cutting-edge knowledge product in outlining how countries and cities can use the power of urban policy, law and governance to promote child-responsive urban spaces. Consequently, this event seeks to highlight how these frameworks ensure children’s voices are integrated into urban planning and policymaking processes that affect their daily lives, including housing, public spaces, mobility, etc.