Companies and children's rights
What's good for children is also good for bsuiness
- Hrvatski
- English
About 800,000 children under the age of 18 live in Croatia, accounting for about 20 percent of the total population. Almost every company affects their lives in some way. Corporate relationships with parents and the way they affect their work-life balance, placement of products and services intended for children, advertising aimed at children, the impact of business on the environment in which children are growing up and develop, all this strongly affects the interests of children and their rights.
"Children are key stakeholders of every company. Children are consumers of their products and services, family members of their employees, members of the communities in which the companies operate, and will one day be employees themselves and future business leaders."
By working together on this issue, UNICEF helps companies to add value to good business results, and come closer to the global standards of modern business that are increasingly concerned with sustainable development and human rights.
Principles on children's rights and business
In collaboration with UN Global Compact and Save the Children, UNICEF has developed 10 principles on children's rights and business that enable companies to view their business in the field of sustainable development from a children's rights perspective.
The principles help companies identify the direct and indirect impacts of their business on children, and suggest a series of steps and activities that companies can take in the workplace, in the market, or in the community to improve the lives of children. The principles are based on the Convention on the Rights of the Child and call on companies to recognize children as important stakeholders in their business, to monitor their impact on business and to take concrete actions to put children at the heart of sustainable business.
"With children being everybody's most important business, it is of the paramount importance that we all, without exception, achieve good results in achieving the best possible results for children."
We are inviting all companies in Croatia to adopt the Principles on the Rights of the Child and Business and to become the pioneers of good practice in protecting and promoting children's rights. To all interested companies, UNICEF offers a number of tools and guidelines that can help them apply the Principles in their day-to-day operations and management.
For more information on the Principles on the Rights of the Child and Business, please contact us at [email protected].
UNICEF CSR Academy
In 2017, UNICEF, in collaboration with the Croatian Employers Association, launched the UNICEF CSR Academy, the first national business education program to integrate children's rights into day-to-day business and management. This unique training was developed as a response to the growing interest of the business sector in the areas of social responsibility, sustainability and human rights as well as their integration into non-financial reports.
Led by renowned CSR experts, CSR Academy provides expertise on the impact of business on children, as well as practical tools and guidelines to help companies incorporate children's rights into their business principles, business practices, and organizational culture.
So far, more than 60 representatives of leading companies operating in Croatia have participated in the Academy, including Podravka, Addiko Bank, Kaufland, Valamar, Dukat, Tele2, Jadrolinija, Bina Istra, Zagreb Stock Exchange, Zagrebačka banka, IKEA, Croatian Banking Association, INA, Erste Bank and many more.
"Everything I learned at this workshop was extremely helpful but challenging to me. I really like the working method and I learned a very good concept and framework for what can be done to integrate children's rights into our business policies and processes. ”
We invite all companies who wish to join the CSR Academy or wish to work with UNICEF in the important work for the youngest to join us. By working together on this topic, we can do a lot for the benefit of children, the community and business, and prove that sustainable development of the whole society, at the heart of which children, is based on cooperation and partnership.
Contact us at [email protected] and make an important step for children and your business today.
