Surabaya represents Indonesia at Tokyo Global Forum on Children 2026
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- Surabaya was the only Indonesian city invited to TGFC 2026 in Tokyo on Feb. 4–6.
- The city shared an integrated, life-stage approach to child services, with a strong role for parents and fathers.
- Surabaya highlighted community-based service delivery through Balai RW covering education, health, protection and mental health.
Surabaya is the only Indonesian city representing the country at the Tokyo Global Forum on Children (TGFC) 2026, held in Tokyo, Japan, from Feb. 4 to 6, 2026.
Surabaya Regional Development Planning Agency (Bappeda) head Irvan Wahyudrajad said on Saturday that the forum, organized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, brought together 20 cities worldwide in UNICEF’s Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) network to share policies, best practices and innovations to advance the rights of children and adolescents.
“The Surabaya city administration has the honor of directly presenting our policies and child-friendly urban development model before 20 cities around the world, including Auckland, Berlin, Brussels, Cardiff, Copenhagen and Helsinki,” Irvan said.
He said Surabaya’s presentation outlined a holistic and integrated approach to children’s services, starting in early childhood and continuing through school age and adolescence, while actively involving parents — including fathers — as a key part of the city’s caregiving and education ecosystem.
“This approach underscores that Surabaya’s child-friendly policies are not sectoral in nature, but integrated across age groups and across roles within the family and society,” he said.
Puspita Ayuningtyas Prawesti, head of Bappeda’s human development working team who represented the Surabaya administration at the forum, said the city was building a child-friendly environment by ensuring public services were accessible, comprehensive and sustainable.
These services include education, health care, social protection, mental health support, character building and strengthening family capacity down to the community level, delivered through neighborhood-based Balai RW facilities.
“Surabaya ensures the government is present from early childhood, supports the critical adolescent phase, and strengthens the role of parents and fathers in caregiving. Children are not only protected, but their aspirations are also heard and valued in every city development process,” Puspita said.
Indonesianpost.com | Antara
