El Poble Nou de Benitatxell reaffirms its commitment to the rights of children. After obtaining recognition for the first time in 2021, the Council and UNICEF have made official the renewal of the Child Friendly City seal for the period 2026-2029.
The signing ceremony, held last week, was attended by the mayor, Miguel Ángel García; the Councillor of Education and Childhood, Jorge Pascual; the president of UNICEF Valencian Community, Celestino Suárez; and the head of Local Policies for Childhood and Education in Rights at the organisation, Elena Filella. In a gesture that underlines the participatory nature of this initiative, members of the Local Council for Childhood and Adolescence (CLIA) also attended, accompanied by their coordinator, Arminda García.
This new collaboration agreement, which will remain in force until 2029, confirms the council’s commitment to placing children at the heart of the local agenda. The recognition is not only a seal of quality, but also a working agreement that obliges the municipality to implement specific measures based on the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Among the commitments made by the council are the active participation of minors through the CLIA so that their suggestions are taken into account in local policy, as well as ensuring an annual budget allocation for the Local Children’s Plan. In addition, the agreement safeguards the promotion of rights education in schools and the design of actions based on equity and non-discrimination, always prioritising the most vulnerable groups.
The voice of childhood: ‘Improving the town from our perspective’
One of the most emotional moments of the event was the speech given by the CLIA representatives, who highlighted the personal impact of this project. ‘We want to thank the Council and UNICEF for giving us this opportunity. For us, CLIA brings joy to our lives and improves our opportunities,’ said the representatives.
For the young members, the renewal of the agreement is the result of constant work: ‘This day is very important because the project has been part of our excitement every last Monday of the month, which we waited for with great patience. CLIA has helped us to meet and make new friends, to learn, to listen to each other and to express our opinions. And, above all, to improve this town thanks to our point of view.’
For his part, the president of UNICEF Valencian Community, Celestino Suárez, thanked the political leaders, technical experts and, especially, the children and adolescents for their efforts: ‘You now have four years of experience, you have done your homework and now you have new challenges ahead of you. You are renewing your commitment to defending what is most important in society: caring for, educating and involving children’.
The mayor, Miguel Ángel García, said he was ‘very proud’ of the work of the CLIA. ‘You have a perspective and vision that we adults do not have, and that can only bring positive things. This project helps us understand that we live in a community and that the collective must come before the individual. This renewal is a reward for all the effort that has been put into this work,’ he said.
Along the same lines, the Councillor of Education and Childhood, Jorge Pascual, wanted to highlight the technical work and involvement of the entire council: ‘The Local Plan for Childhood and Adolescence is a success for all the departments of the Council, which work together to improve our town day by day’.
