Hwaseong Mayor Seo Chul-mo Re-elected as Chair of UNICEF Child-Friendly Cities Local Government Council

[Suwon Ilbo = Reporter Jung Jun-sung] Hwaseong Mayor Seo Chul-mo has been confirmed as the next chair of the UNICEF Child-Friendly Cities Local Government Council at the regular general meeting held in Busan on the 2nd.

The event, held together with the Child Policy Forum, was attended by approximately 100 participants including local government leaders from 24 member cities of the Child-Friendly Cities Local Government Council and the UNICEF Secretary-General.

The general meeting proceeded in order of discussion on next year's revenue and expenditure and major projects, amendments to the council's bylaws, and the election of the next chair.

Mayor Seo, whose reelection was confirmed, was highly recognized for establishing a venue for sharing outstanding child-friendly projects and policies during his tenure, conducting research on measures to create a child protection environment, producing online educational content on children's rights, and actively supporting the establishment of the Children's Rights Protection Agency and the Korean Children's Assembly.

Additionally, the launch of a "permanent secretariat" as of November 1st, which laid the groundwork for more effective promotion and expansion of child-friendly cities, was evaluated positively.

Accordingly, Mayor Seo unveiled major projects for 2022 including ▲discussion forums for sharing outstanding projects and policies among child-friendly cities ▲hosting a nationwide children's assembly ▲public recruitment for child rights promotion projects ▲support for unregistered (stateless) migrant children ▲assistance for North Korean children ▲support for overseas child-friendly cities.

Mayor Seo said, "We will create a positive social atmosphere where all citizens empathize with children's rights and can promote children's rights," and added, "I am grateful to the council members for entrusting me with this important responsibility once again."

Meanwhile, at the child policy forum that followed, a keynote speech and discussion were held on the topic of "In the Era of Living with COVID-19, the Tasks of Local Governments in Protecting Children's Mental Health."