Ref: 19/2022
Date: 26 July 2022
Palestine’s Children Council calls for children’s involvement in planning for activities and events relevant to children and their rights. This was during 5 accountability sessions held by the Council with mayors and officials in 5 main municipalities operating on the Gaza Strip beach to learn about their plans to combat the risks of environmental pollution and their preparedness for the current summer season, including maintaining the right to life and health and children’s right to play safely on the beach.
The sessions were held at different times in June and July at the municipalities in the five Gaza Strip Governorates in presence of mayors and officials at the health and environment departments. During the sessions, 40 children, who are council members in these governorates, discussed these municipalities’ plans and activities for current summer season, and their questions were mainly about their right to life and enjoyment of recreational activities that meet the environment and health criteria. The mayors presented their plans and activities for summer and the challenges facing the municipalities with regard to sanitation projects and marine environmental conservation as well as the work of sea rescuers in the season while people are at the beach. The officials also indicated their full preparedness to develop their plans and activities for the next summer seasons through including proposals and recommendations suggested by the Council Children during the 5 accountability sessions. Meanwhile, the mayors said that they are willing to establish advisory boards comprised of those children to participate in planning and policymaking for future projects.
The Council’s children, who participated in these sessions, demanded that the municipal plans should include developing the seafront; ensuring accessibility for persons with disabilities to public places, including their free access to cafeterias; allotting recreational venues that take into consideration the economic conditions of all groups and ensure children’s free enjoyment of services at the public places. The children also stressed the importance of periodic examination of the sea water and preservation of people’s lives and safety while swimming in the Sea. The children also called for imposing tighter control over the street vendors and the food products sold to them at the beach.
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights in partnership with Save the Children established Palestine’s National Children Council- Gaza Strip in 2021, which is an elected council that included distinguished children (12-17 years old) representing the five Gaza Strip Governorates. PCHR contributes to training the Council’s children and building their capacity through holding such meetings with the officials at governmental and local bodies. This aims at improving their community participation skills; making them practice their role in policymaking and planning with regard to them; and working on promoting children’s rights in the Gaza Strip.
