Businesses, as part of their corporate social responsibility efforts, should go beyond preventing or eliminating child labor in their supply chain.
Child labor has long been an issue in the corporate world. At present, there are 215 million children in the global workforce. While some businesses have tried to address the matter, it is but a “piecemeal approach” to ensuring the rights of children.
It is for this reason that UNICEF, Save the Children and the U.N. Global Compact launched on Monday (March 12) the Children’s Rights and Business Principles. It is a set of principles designed to guide companies on the range of actions they can take to advance children’s rights in the workplace, marketplace or even in the community.
The principles, 10 in all, were developed in consultation with children, businesses, investors, civil society, U.N. entities, governments, academics, trade unions, human rights institutions and even child rights experts.
The principles, identified below, emphasize that children are also key stakeholders in businesses — as consumers, family members of employees, young workers, and as future employees and business leaders:
Respect and commit in supporting children’s rights.
Help eliminate child labor in all business aspects.
Provide safe working conditions for young workers, parents and caregivers.
Ensure children’s safety and protection in all business activities and facilities.
Ensure products and services are safe, especially those likely to be used or consumed by children.
Use appropriate marketing and advertising tools. These should not promote discrimination and expose children to malicious or violent content.
Take into account children’s health and well-being when engaging in business practices that affect the environment and other resources.
Ensure children will not be adversely affected, or used, in security arrangements.
Extend help to children in emergencies, such as armed conflict. This may be in the form of raising awareness of their plight or supporting authorities and humanitarian agencies in emergency response.
Support the efforts of governments and help them meet their obligations in protecting and fulfilling children’s rights.
UNICEF plans to engage companies around the world to urge them to include these principles in their company policies. The Guardian notes the organization has identified 50 multinational corporations it wants to approach.
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