Differdange, a Child-Friendly City

Differdange is the first municipality in Luxembourg to join UNICEF’s Child Friendly Cities initiative. Our goal: to make children’s rights the benchmark for all our decisions and to build the city together with those who will live in it in the future.

At a glance

• More than 7,000 children live in Differdange, representing over 21% of the population.
• November 19, 2026: signing of the agreement with UNICEF Luxembourg.
• A first in Luxembourg: Differdange is a pilot municipality for the initiative.
• One principle: nothing for children without children.

What is a child-friendly city?

The Child Friendly Cities Initiative was launched in 1996 by UNICEF and UN-Habitat. Today it brings together more than 3,500 cities and municipalities in over 40 countries, reaching more than 30 million children.

A child-friendly city is a place where:

• children’s needs and rights guide public decisions;
• children take part in the decisions that affect them;
• every child can grow up in a safe, inclusive, and equitable environment.

It is not simply a label, but a process of continuous improvement. The municipality analyzes the situation, sets its priorities together with children, implements concrete measures, and regularly evaluates its progress.

Why municipalities?

Because children’s everyday lives are shaped at the local level: the way to school, playgrounds, bike paths, sports and cultural activities, and the welcome given to newly arrived families. The municipality is best placed to act quickly and concretely.

What are children’s rights?

Children’s rights apply to everyone under the age of 18. They are enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted on November 20, 1989, and ratified by Luxembourg in 1994.

Its 54 articles rest on 4 fundamental principles:

1. Non-discrimination — all children have the same rights;
2. The best interests of the child — their well-being comes first;
3. The right to life, survival, and development;
4. Respect for the views of the child — their opinion matters.

What is Differdange actually doing?

The City’s commitment unfolds in several stages:

• Political commitment: a declaration by the municipal council and the signing of a memorandum of understanding with UNICEF Luxembourg;
• Situation analysis: an assessment of the situation of children in Differdange, carried out with UNICEF Luxembourg and directly involving children and young people;
• Action plan: based on this assessment, the City develops a multi-year action plan together with children, with clear objectives and a timeline;
• Implementation and evaluation: the measures are carried out, monitored, and evaluated — always with the participation of children;
• Certification: in the long run, Differdange aims to obtain the official Kannerfrëndlech Gemeng label, renewed every three years.

A children’s rights project coordinator leads the process within the municipal administration. A steering committee, which includes children and young people, supports each phase.

Children at the heart of the project

Participation is not optional — it is the condition for success. The Children’s Municipal Council, created on the initiative of the Children’s Commission, is involved at every stage: situation analysis, setting priorities, carrying out projects, and evaluation.

A first concrete example: children are taking part in planning the redesign of Gerlache Park, which will become a place for play, discovery, and gathering, designed with and for Differdange’s young residents.

A better city for everyone

A city that is good for children is a safer, greener, more accessible, and more welcoming city — for families, seniors, and all residents. That is the Differdange we want to build together.