Barnet Council has become the first local authority in London to begin a three-year partnership with global children’s organisation Unicef.

The partnership will see the council working with support from Unicef to be recognised as a Child Friendly Community and support all children to grow up healthy, happy, safe and resilient.

Over the next three years the council will collaborate with Unicef as part of its Child Rights Partners Programme to embed children’s rights into the council’s governance, policy and practice.

Barnet is one of just three local authorities in the UK to be partnering with Unicef after submitting an expression of interest to the organisation.

Using the Convention on the Rights of the Child as a guide, the programme is part of Unicef’s global Child Friendly Cities initiative, which helps cities and communities in more than 20 countries to put children’s rights and well-being at their heart.

The partnership will support the council’s aim of becoming the most family friendly borough in London by 2020.

Over the coming months Unicef will work with the council to develop six ‘badges’ which the council will strive towards achieving.

As the partnership continues, monitoring, including the views of a panel of experts, will assess the progress being made.

Chris Munday, Barnet Council’s Commissioning Director for Children and Young People, said: “This is a really exciting opportunity for Barnet. This partnership will give the council the chance to work with a global organisation over the next three years with a focus on embedding children’s rights into more of what the council does.”

Naomi Danquah, Unicef’s Programme Director of the Child Right’s Partners programme said: “We are delighted to welcome the London Borough of Barnet to the Child Rights Partners programme.

“At a time when councils are having to make tough choices about the delivery of local services, it’s essential that all children, particularly the most vulnerable, are supported, protected and able to flourish.

“The London Borough of Barnet has made a bold commitment to work towards recognition as a Child and Family Friendly Community and to begin embedding children’s human rights across its services over the next three years. We look forward to collaborating with the council to help realise this ambition.”

Notes to Editors:

About Child Rights Partners

Unicef works in partnership with local authorities in the UK to help create child friendly cities and communities – places where all children, including the most vulnerable, feel safe, heard and nurtured.

Child Rights Partners is part of the Unicef’s global Child Friendly Cities initiative. Launched in 1996 and active in 24 countries the Initiative supports cities and communities to put children’s needs at their heart, translating Unicef’s global mission into practical action at the local level.

Unicef UK piloted the programme for three years from 2013 to 2016 working with five local authorities. In 2017, Unicef UK is growing and developing the Child Rights Partners programme. As well as inviting new local authority partners to work with us, we are introducing an award element, giving participating authorities the opportunity to work towards international recognition as a Unicef Child Friendly City or Community.

About Unicef’s work in the UK

Unicef is the world’s leading organisation for children, promoting the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories, including the UK to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.

Unicef UK raises funds to protect children in danger, transform their lives and build a safer world for tomorrow’s children. As a registered charity we raise funds through donations from individuals, organisations and companies and we lobby and campaign to keep children safe. Unicef UK also runs programmes in schools, hospitals and with local authorities in the UK.