Webinar: Integrated Child Protection Systems and the Role of Cities in Safeguarding Children | | Movimento Globale per i Diritti dell’Infanzia

While the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child establishes a binding obligation to protect children from all forms of violence, many contexts continue to face challenges in translating this commitment into comprehensive, coordinated, and effective child protection systems. Municipalities — the level of government closest to children’s daily lives — play a pivotal role in turning these rights into tangible protections and in creating safe environments for children.

The Safe in Town project, funded by the European Union and led by Defence for Children Italy in partnership with Defence for Children Greece, Hope for Children, and CESIS, advances the realisation of integrated child protection systems at municipal level. Implemented in Ferrara (Italy), Chania (Greece), Strovolos (Cyprus), and Matosinhos (Portugal), the project pilots coordinated, multi-sectoral child safeguarding and wellbeing policies, aiming to strengthen the role of cities in building proactive, preventive, and rights-based protection systems that reduce risks of violence and foster inclusive, child-friendly environments for all children.

On 17 November 2025, the project will host its Second International Webinar,

dedicated to “Integrated Child Protection Systems and the Role of Cities in Safeguarding Children.”

The webinar aims to:

• Present the European Commission Recommendation on Integrated Child Protection Systems (2024/1238), which calls on Member States to strengthen coordination, accountability, and rights-based approaches, offering a robust policy framework for local-level implementation.
• Explore what key components may enable cities to strengthen integrated child protection systems.
• Discuss practical approaches for embedding safeguarding across municipal services. 

The programme will feature the participation of Chrisoula Arcoudis, Policy Officer at the European Commission’s DG Justice, who will present the EU Recommendation, and Daja Wenke, independent expert on children’s rights, who will reflect on the transformative potential of municipalities to safeguard children and embed dignity, participation, and wellbeing in local governance.

The event will be moderated by Pippo Costella, Director of Defence for Children International Italia, and will provide a vital space for exchange between practitioners, policymakers, and experts committed to strengthening municipal action for the protection and realisation of children’s rights.

This webinar offers a platform to reflect on the pivotal role of cities in safeguarding children and to share insights on how local action can reinforce protection systems and ensure that children’s rights are realised in practice.