(CARTOON BY LI SHIGONG)

June 1 was International Children's Day, an annual day of action celebrated across the globe in recognition of the importance of children and their rights. Every child has the right to grow up in a safe, secure and clean environment where they have access to basic services and education. And the construction of child-friendly cities presents a powerful means to ensure that children's needs are front and center in city planning and policymaking.

The concept first appeared in 1996 in the Child-Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI), a framework launched by the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements. According to the initiative, a child-friendly city is "a city, town or community in which the voices, needs, priorities and rights of children are an integral part of public policies, programs, and decisions."

Under the guidance of the CFCI and many government policies, cities across the country are now upgrading their public infrastructure to become more child-friendly. Chongqing, a municipality in southwest China, has opened breastfeeding rooms where the temperature and lighting are carefully controlled to create a soothing environment for babies at railway stations and airports. In March, the suggestions of 25 children were incorporated into the building of a garden in Guangzhou Children's Park in Guangdong Province.

(Eastday.com, June 1)