The Challenge

The Oslo Challenge to the private sector, including media owners, is:

• to take into account the rights of children to access, participation, media education and protection from harmful content in the development of new media products and technologies;

• to make the best interests of the child a primary consideration in the pursuit of commercial and financial success, so that today's children become adults in a global society in which all people are protected, respected and free.

Good practice

The following links provide examples of good practice concerning privat sector involvement in support of children in the media:

• Speak your mind - UNICEF, MTV Networks Asia and The Levi's® Brand came together to drive the Speak Your Mind Campaign -- a pro-social campaign with the objective of empowering youth in Asia by helping them speak their minds about the things that are important to them and close to their hearts. This exciting landmark initiative aims to make a significant difference to the Asian youth of today with the declaration of 1 August as the Youth Day.
UNICEF, MTV Networks Asia and The Levi's® Brand will all take active roles in promoting the Youth Day throughout the region, and in supporting young people to speak out and be heard not only on this day but throughout the year.
Governments, corporations and communities will be encouraged to observe the Youth Day through activities organized by young people.
For more information, go to MTVAsia.

• Media Smart® is a media literacy programme, initially focused on advertising. The objective of the project is to provide children with the tools to help them understand and interpret advertising, so that they are able to make informed choices.
Media Smart® is designed for primary school children aged 6-11 years old. It is the first UK media literacy programme to run inside the classroom and the home using broadcast and written educational materials.
For more information, go to the Media Smart® website.
To see who is behind Media Smart®, go to Responsible Advertising and Children Programme - World Federation of Advertisers.

• Another interesting resource that looks at the relationship between children and advertisers is the Advertising Education Forum (AEF) website.
The Advertising Education Forum (AEF) is a non-profit, academically neutral organisation that offers a comprehensive database of information on advertising and children and related issues.
AEF provides open and free access to academic and scientific research on advertising and children and serves as a centre for information on the issue and also provides information on advertising self-regulation in Europe, e.g. information on each country's self-regulation system.

How to get involved

• Interested parties from the private sector can get involved by contacting the nearest UNICEF office. You can find the addresses and phone numbers on the UNICEF website.

MAGIC partners | Privacy policy | Top