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The program is looking to give participants opportunities to meet experts and decision-makers and develop proposals for a more child-friendly capital.
Mayor Gergely Karácsony and representatives of UNICEF Hungary signed the agreement on Friday. The initiative builds on the organization’s Climate Heroes program, launched in 2022.
Antónia Mészáros, executive director of UNICEF Hungary, said climate protection and a sustainable urban environment were priorities of the strategic partnership. Its central value, she added, was ensuring that children’s and young people’s perspectives play a prominent role in shaping plans.
Children have the right to express their views on matters affecting them, and their ideas can provide valuable guidance for adults, Mészáros said. A child-friendly city should reflect children’s actual needs and take shape with their involvement, she added.
The initiative also seeks to address young people’s concerns about climate change. According to UNICEF Hungary’s representative 2022 survey, 90% of Hungarians ages 13-25 experience some degree of climate anxiety, while half feel helpless.
Mészáros said the Climate Heroes program was established to help change that, with Cities Turning Green representing its next stage through cooperation with Budapest.
Participants will learn about urban green solutions already in operation and discuss sustainability with experts and policymakers. At the end of the program, they will draw on their experiences and ideas to develop a package of proposals for a genuinely child-friendly city.
Karácsony said young people should be involved in activities that help them feel they can influence the future rather than simply worry about it.
“Action is the only thing that liberates us from anxiety,” he said.
The mayor added that involving a wider range of participants could multiply the resources available to bring about change.
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