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Kota Kinabalu: The City Hall (DBKK) aims to create safer streets, green public spaces and transport systems that accommodate the needs of children, all the while including these youngsters in the decision-making processes.

To this end, the agency is collaborating with United Nations Children’s Funds (UNICEF) to try and make this a reality.

Mayor Datuk Seri Sabin Samitah said that with Unicef’s technical expertise, they would begin conducting a comprehensive child rights situation analysis.

“This will form the basis for developing a Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) Action Plan that is inclusive, data-driven, and contextually relevant to the children of Kota Kinabalu. 

“We will also formulate a monitoring and evaluation framework that captures progress not only through statistics but also through lived experiences and community feedback, particularly from children themselves.

“The CFCI in Kota Kinabalu will be built on inclusive and participatory platforms, enabling children and young people to voice their ideas, share their challenges, and shape solutions,” he said.

He said this in his speech during the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the implementation of the CFCI between DBKK and Unicef at Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) on Tuesday.

Also present were the Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister who is also in charge of DBKK, Datuk Abidin Madingkir, DBKK Director-General Lifred Wong, UNICEF Representative to Malaysia and Special Representative to Brunei Darussalam Robert Gass, UNICEF Malaysia Social Policy Chief Dr. Juanita Vasquez Escallon and others.

Robert said the CFCI is built upon three fundamental pillars that guide their actions, first, raising awareness of child rights, second, ensuring meaningful child participation, and third, creating safe and inclusive environments for all children.

“Raising awareness of child rights is key to building safe, supportive communities where every child can thrive. 

Children must know their rights to speak up for themselves and others. But they cannot do it alone, adults must also ensure these rights are reflected in our policies, projects, and everyday decisions.

“A child-friendly city puts meaningful child participation at its core. Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) affirms that children deserve a say in decisions that affect their lives and Child Councils are one way to make this happen. 

In Petaling Jaya, consultations with the Child Council have led to real changes, like toy libraries, a child-friendly bus stop, a child-friendly kopitiam, and even mapping roads that would enable them to walk safely to school,” he said.

Other than that, Robert said, Sabah’s diversity of cultures, voices, and experiences can be a powerful force for innovation, and they look forward to seeing the creativity and insight that children in Kota Kinabalu will offer as they help develop their city.

According to Robert, creating child-friendly cities requires strong partnerships between public authorities, the private sector, and communities. 

“For example, developers can collaborate on co-designing inclusive parks, and street vendors can contribute by promoting healthy habits near schools. 

“Furthermore, integrating a child-centric lens into city planning, such as prioritising children’s safety and building climate-resilient infrastructure, is crucial for developing a truly liveable city for all,” he said.

Meanwhile, Abidin said, children in remote areas, indigenous communities, and lower-income households often experience multiple forms of deprivation.

“This initiative gives us an avenue to address those disparities through a child-sensitive lens — one that listens to their voices, respects their rights, and adapts policies to their needs.

“The development of the Child Rights Situation Analysis, the integration of child-sensitive frameworks into local governance, and the formation of strong mechanisms for monitoring and accountability – all these must be rigorously pursued and supported,” he said.

For the record, Sabah now joins a growing movement of Malaysian cities taking child rights seriously. 

In 2023, Petaling Jaya became the first city in Malaysia and Southeast Asia to receive official CFCI recognition. Since then, Sarawak has onboarded seven councils as part of the state-wide cohort and Penang Island has recently come on board as well.