Izmir Metropolitan Municipality organized a workshop targeting the bureaucrats working for a number of different departments for increasing knowledge and awareness about the children’s rights.
It is reported that an important step has been taken for raising awareness about our departments’ approach towards the children’s rights thanks to the “Children’s Rights in Local Governments Workshop”, organized in collaboration with the Consulate General of Sweden and Istanbul Bilgi University’s Department of Children Studies (ÇOÇA).
Elizabeth Englundh from the Swedish Union of Local Governments and Regions and Gözde Durmuş from Istanbul Bilgi University’s Department of Children Studies were the speakers of the workshop and Muzaffer Tunçağ, the Council Member of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, gave the opening speech. He noted that Izmir Metropolitan Municipality wants to set an example for model “Children’s City”.

Türkegül Kocaoğlu, the wife of Izmir Metropolitan Mayor Aziz Kocaoğlu, gave flowers to the speakers at the end of the workshop.

As a part of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality aims to implement “children friendly city” practices based on a participatory approach in favor of embracing the perspective of the children’s rights in its projects, spreading the culture of the children’s rights and prioritizing the best interest of the child. For this purpose, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality organized the “Children’s Rights Department” in May 2017.

Turkey signed the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child on September 14, 1990 and the Convention entered into force following its publication on the Official Gazette in 1995. According to this Convention, in addition to the family, the public authorities and other organizations of the society are responsible for protecting the rights of the children.