The First Lady of Romania, Mirabela Gr\u0103dinaru, met on Tuesday, August 25, with a UNICEF delegation led by Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, to discuss promoting children’s rights and strengthening the participation of children and young people in decisions that affect their lives.<\/p>\n
The discussions highlighted the progress made by Romania in promoting the views of children and young people in the public decision-making process, including through legislation adopted in 2024, which strengthens children’s opportunities to contribute to the development of policies and legislation that concern them.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know how important it is for every child to have access to care, protection, education and opportunities to develop. We must never forget that they are our number one priority. The way we care for children today will shape tomorrow’s society. I welcome the continuation of cooperation between Romania and UNICEF to support children and families, to ensure that the voices of young people are heard and to make sure that every child can reach their full potential, regardless of where they live or the circumstances in which they were born,\u201d said Mirabela Gr\u0103dinaru.<\/p>\n
In turn, Edouard Beigbeder said that Romania has taken important steps to strengthen children’s participation and integrate it into the decision-making process, and its experience can offer valuable lessons both to countries in Europe and to those outside the region.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The meeting addressed Romania’s experience in implementing the integrated community services model, as well as the implementation of the European Child Guarantee. Opportunities to promote internationally the lessons learned and good practices developed in Romania were also discussed.<\/p>\n
The discussions also focused on continuing cooperation in areas such as children’s participation, education, combating climate change, online safety and preventing violence against children.<\/p>\n
Earlier this summer, Romania\u2019s First Lady presented the “Romania in Light” project<\/a> during a panel within the NATO Summit in Ankara. The project focuses on protecting children in the context of technological development and educating them in an environment where the virtual world supports learning and development.\u00a0<\/p>\n