Mallorca seeks Unicef child-friendly city status

Mallorca has put forward its bid for Unicef’s Child Friendly City recognition, built around a plan that gives children and teenagers a say in island policies. On Friday, Consell de Mallorca president Llorenç Galmés met Unicef representatives as the application was assessed. Guillermo Sánchez, the social welfare councillor and president of the Mallorcan Institute of Social Affairs (IMAS), and social services, children and family director Apol·lònia Socias also attended.

The bid is based on Mallorca’s first Plan for the Care and Rights of Children and Adolescents, known as Padiam, which runs from 2023 to 2028. The Consell says the plan puts children’s rights and wellbeing among its priorities.

Children’s rights across island services

The plan is intended to bring children’s rights into the work of Consell departments dealing with health, education, social services, culture, mobility, the environment and equality.

Galmés said the Unicef recognition would help highlight improvements already made, assess the work so far and push public policies to become better coordinated, more effective and closer to people.

32 young people feed into the plan

One part of Padiam is the Mallorca Council for Children and Adolescents, known as CIAM. It currently has 32 children and teenagers as members.

Their proposals go to Padiam coordination groups, where they can be considered for inclusion in the Consell’s work. Sánchez said IMAS is working to keep young people involved and ensure children’s policies reach every municipality in Mallorca.

Topics: Social affairs · Politics

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com