National Child Friendly Local Governance seeks for Child-Friendly Initiative as a National Pride initiative

The National Child-Friendly Local Governance Forum has called on the government to elevate its child-friendly local governance campaign to the status of a national pride project. The forum presented this request in a memorandum letter submitted to Federal Affairs and General Administration Minister Raj Kumar Gupta on Friday. The step seeks to underscore the importance of child welfare within national policies and to gain broader support for the initiative.

In the memorandum, the forum outlined its vision to make Nepal a child-friendly nation by the year 2087. This ambitious goal includes revising existing child-friendly governance guidelines and procedures to better address the needs of children. Ashok Khanal, the forum’s coordinator, emphasized the necessity of updating the child-friendly local governance implementation guidelines 2078 and the declaration procedure 2079 to reflect more effective strategies and practices.

The forum’s appeal also includes several specific demands. These include the elimination of child labor from government office canteens and civil servants’ homes, with a focus on justice and rehabilitation for affected children. Additionally, the forum advocates for government infrastructure to be modified to be more accommodating to children and individuals with disabilities. Furthermore, they recommend the institutionalization of children’s participation in local-level policy-making and planning to ensure their voices are represented in governance.

Minister Gupta acknowledged receipt of the memorandum and expressed his commitment to discussing the forum’s proposals further. The initiative highlights a growing recognition of the need for inclusive practices within governance structures and aligns with global standards for child protection. The outcome of these discussions will be crucial in shaping the future of child-friendly policies in Nepal.