Promoting the rights of Children with disabilities innocenti digest no

local governance
Good local governance pursues policy approaches 
guided by human rights and designed to promote the 
realization of fundamental rights and freedoms of all 
those living under the jurisdiction of the local govern-
ment authorities. In this spirit, good local governance 
promotes the mainstreaming of children’s rights in 
local plans, policies, institutions and budgets. 
In this respect, the Child Friendly Cities initiative pro-
motes the consideration of the rights of the child as 
a distinct point of attention in planning, policy-making 
and resource allocation, with children’s voices inform-
ing the democratic process. Child Friendly Cities are 
classified as a “city, or any local system of govern-
ance, committed to fulfilling children’s rights.”
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These cities can be found throughout the world, with 
Bangkok, Buenos Aires, Chicago, Florence, Mexico 
City and Mumbai as examples.
A key feature of a Child Friendly City is that special 
attention is given to disadvantaged and marginalized 
children, including children with disabilities. In Cana-
da, for example, the Society for Children and Youth of 
British Columbia is a fully fledged Child Friendly City 
programme that has given the issue of disability spe-
cial attention.
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A disability dimension can be introduced at city level 
in a variety of ways:
by explicit incorporation of disability issues in 
• 
local policy and planning;
by the promotion of projects to change public 
• 
attitudes and promote awareness of the rights of 
children with disabilities;
by the creation of neighbourhood or district 
• 
maps developed in consultation with children 
with disabilities − which can help provide local 
governments and other agencies with a means to 
promote their rights and address their needs.
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