Municipal Children’s Rights Conferences Launch in Cotia and Crato, Brazil

The municipalities of Cotia in São Paulo state and Crato in Ceará have begun a series of local conferences focused on the rights of children and adolescents. In Cotia, the Municipal Council of Children and Adolescents (CMDCA), with support from the city’s Social Development Secretariat, organized seven pre‑conferences between 11 August and 1 September at community centers and schools. These meetings will feed into the 12th Municipal Conference of Children and Adolescents scheduled for 9‑10 September, under the theme “Strengthening the System of Guarantee of Rights of Children and Adolescents (SGDCA) and Participatory Democracy”.

In Crato, the cycle started on 6 August at the Assentamento 10 de Abril, bringing together children, adolescents and local officials to discuss gender equity, violence prevention, and protection against child labor. Coordinated by the municipal CMDCA and the Secretariat of Social Assistance, further sessions are planned for mid‑August at various CRAS centers, culminating in a Magna conference. Both initiatives follow national guidelines from CONANDA and the Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente (ECA).