Children’s Rights and Child Impact Assessment

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is a human rights treaty concerning children under the age of 18. Its aim is to safeguard fundamental rights for every child, such as the right to health, education, equality, and a safe environment in which to grow up.

The UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on 20 November 1989. The Convention has been signed by 196 countries. Finland signed the Convention in 1991.

The City of Hämeenlinna takes part in the Child-Friendly City initiative. The city is committed to promoting the realization of children’s rights in all of its activities, in line with the core principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The Convention’s four core principles are:

• Non-discrimination
• Consideration of the best interests of the child
• The right to life and development
• Respect for the views of the child

Child Impact Assessment

Child impact assessment is a practical tool that helps ensure children’s rights and the best interests of the child are realized in decision-making.

Child impact assessment examines how decisions affect children and young people. The assessment considers both short-term and long-term effects. The aim is to understand how a decision promotes or undermines the realization of children’s rights and what benefits or harms it may bring to children.

Child impact assessment is used, for example, when planning or developing services or promoting the well-being and health of children and young people. It is important for municipalities to assess child impacts broadly across different areas of activity, such as education, leisure, and transport.

Decisions on the introduction of child impact assessment in Hämeenlinna

The City of Hämeenlinna has made decisions on the introduction of child impact assessment in the City Board, the Education and Well-being Committee, and the Urban Environment Committee.

• City Board, 19 October 2020, § 409
• Education and Well-being Committee, 17 June 2020, § 44
• Urban Environment Committee, 9 June 2020, § 115

According to the City Board’s decision, a child impact assessment is required when a decision is operationally or financially significant, when a service undergoes a significant change, or when a new way of organizing services is introduced. For matters concerning group entities, an assessment is carried out when the decision is clearly assessed to have a direct effect on the status of children and young people.

The committees have decided to carry out a child impact assessment within their own areas of responsibility whenever a decision is strategically, operationally, or financially significant, or when it involves a significant change or a new way of organizing services.

The City of Hämeenlinna uses the electronic well-being report platform for its child impact assessments. On this platform, you can view the child impact assessments carried out in Hämeenlinna.