Sunawal declared the first child-friendly municipality

KAWASOTI: Sunawal Municipality of Nawalparasi district has been declared as the first child-friendly municipality in the country.

Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare, Neelam KC, declared the municipality as the country's first child-friendly municipality on Monday.

Sunwal was declared as the child-friendly municipality after it completed minimum index of child-friendly governance related to child protection, child development, child participation, child mortality and organisational development. The municipality had been working since the past three years for the same.

The municipality became successful to achieve the title as it had strictly carried out works by formulating a code of conduct to complete the minimum index determined by the Child-Friendly Local Governance Implementation Work Procedure as per the Child-Friendly Local Governance National Strategy-2068 BS.

Out of 47,100 population of the municipality, all 22,000 children are associated to children's clubs.

Executive Officer at the Municipality, Dipendra Regmi, said that the municipality was declared the child-friendly municipality since child-friendly activities were carried out in all areas of the municipality.

On the occasion, Minister KC declared Sunawal municipality as the child-friendly municipality by reading out inscription on a copper plaque.

Present on the occasion were central member of the CPN (UML) and lawmaker Baijanath Chaudhary, Nepal representative of UNICEF, Tomoo Hozumi, Chairman of Central Child Welfare Board, Dilliram Giri, Goodwill ambassador of UNICEF, Ani Choying Dolma, CWIN Chairman Gauri Pradhan and Founder Chairman of Jagriti Child Club, Tilottam Poudel, among others.

Children affiliated to various child clubs had presented pageantry to mark the occasion. It may be noted that the first child club of the country was formed in Nawalparasi.