In order to join the Child and Youth Friendly Community Initiative, launched by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), local councils have to approve the relevant decision, send a letter of interest to the Fund and sign a memorandum with it in April.

After that, the hromada should analyse the situation with the rights of children and young people on their territory, and then choose at least 3 out of 5 directions of the initiative to work on. After that, it should compile an action plan and budget for its implementation in the coming years.

The International Forum of Child and Youth Friendly Municipalities will be held in Kyiv on 1 June 2018, World Children's Day. On this day, Ukrainian hromadas to fulfill the above-mentioned points will be certified by UNICEF experts, receive the honorary status of a candidate for the Child and Youth Friendly Community Initiative.

Hromadas-participants of the initiative, active in protecting the rights of children and young people, will have a chance in the future to receive a special status and recognition from UNICEF, allowing the hromada to work more closely with other hromadas both in Ukraine and abroad to attract investment, primarily, in social projects.

It should be noted, that last week Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman said that Ukraine had joined the Child and Youth Friendly Community Initiative: the Government of Ukraine, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and partners of the initiative signed a memorandum. The initiative has been operating since 1996 and has attracted municipalities from over 30 countries of the world on all continents.

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