The conference co-organized by UNICEF and CSR HELLAS on Child Rights and Business in Greece was marked with great success

ATHENS, 5 December 2025 – With a central focus on the role of the private sector in respecting and promoting Children's Rights, the UNICEF Greece Country Office and CSR HELLAS held Greece’s first-ever conference focusing on this topic on 3 December, in Athens. The event brought together government officials, business representatives and industry platforms, reaffirming the crucial role of collective action in advancing children’s rights. 

Greek Government representatives delivered welcoming remarks, highlighting the importance of partnerships between the State and the private sector in promoting and raising awareness of children’s rights. 

The Minister of Education, Religious Affairs & Sports, Sofia Zacharaki, referred to the steady progress being achieved in Greek schools and in education more broadly, by placing children’s needs at the heart of educational policy, while emphasizing the key role of human capital in providing quality education and the need to support it. 

The Minister of Social Cohesion & Family, Domna Michailidou, by written statement, underscored that the private sector has the capacity to influence outcomes at scale by integrating children’s rights into core decision-making processes and directing corporate social responsibility initiatives towards the most vulnerable children. 

Alternate Minister of Health, Eirini Agapidaki highlighted the successful and multifaceted cooperation between the Ministry of Health and UNICEF through a series of initiatives and interventions prioritizing the protection of the physical and mental health and the rights of children, adolescents and parents. She also stressed the opportunity offered to businesses to integrate children’s needs and vulnerabilities into all aspects of their operations, thereby ensuring healthy everyday practices and strategic decisions that support the sustainability of a holistic, child-centred environment. 

During the event, UNICEF presented the first nationwide study in Greece, “Child Rights and Business: The Assessment”, conducted by The American College of Greece with support of CSR HELLAS member companies. The research reflects, for the first time, how the Greek business sector incorporates dimensions of children’s rights into its operations. Findings show that approximately one in three business executives believes that companies in Greece contribute meaningfully to the protection of children’s rights. Young people, however, appear more skeptical, with two in three considering companies’ actions on children’s rights to be superficial, and only one in ten believing that companies are committed to helping working parents spend stress-free time with their children. 

The study also reveals limited understanding of the various dimensions of children’s rights— most associated exclusively with child labour —and identifies an emerging gap between commitment and practice across the pillars of governance, workplace environment, supply chain, climate change and sustainability. 

Company representatives Achilleas Ioakeimidis (Sustainability Director, PPC Group & Board Member, CSR HELLAS), Anna Malti (Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, COSMOTE TELEKOM), Smaragdi Talaki (Head of Human Resources, OFET – Group of Pharmaceutical Companies) and Nancy Zachariadou (Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, Piraeus Bank) engaged in a discussion with Dimitra Brousali, member of the UNICEF Greece Children's and Youth Advisory Board and high-school student from Leros, and Nikos Xanthakis, also a member of UNICEF Greece’s Children and Youth Advisory Board and undergraduate student at the National Technical University of Athens. The panel was moderated by Alexia Tasouli, journalist at Naftemporiki. 

The discussion focused on the expectations and needs of the new generation, highlighting examples of corporate initiatives with positive impact on children and young people in Greece. Panelists shared what works effectively and identified areas for improvement, with the aim of strengthening child-centred approaches within corporate sustainability strategies. 

UNICEF Representative in Greece, Dr. Ghassan Khalil, stated: 
“Today’s conference reaffirms that advancing children’s rights requires collective action and strong partnerships. The private sector becomes a powerful ally when it integrates children’s rights into its strategies and everyday practices. The study presented today provides us with a clear picture of the challenges and opportunities ahead. The children and young people who participated reminded us of the importance of their voice in shaping solutions. UNICEF remains fully committed to investing in the future and well-being of every child, working together with the private sector to ensure a fairer and more inclusive future for all.” 

The President of the Board of CSR HELLAS, Alexandra Palli, stated: 
“The event clearly demonstrated that integrating children’s rights into business operations is not an optional or parallel activity—it is a core component of current ESG strategy. The research findings provide an evidence-based understanding of the challenges and significant opportunities for the Greek business community to make meaningful progress. At CSR HELLAS, we view the protection of children and the empowerment of young people as an investment in social cohesion and in the country’s human capital. Our cooperation with UNICEF is particularly valuable, as it is grounded in real data that can guide targeted and effective interventions. The participation of companies, young people, institutions and the academic community confirms the genuine willingness for collective action. The next step is to translate this willingness into structured processes, policies and governance mechanisms that lead to concrete and lasting results. The responsibility is shared—and so is the opportunity for real change.” 

Finally, Maeve Bayles, UNICEF Sustainability Specialist, took the stage as the keynote speaker, presenting global trends in corporate partnerships grounded in materiality and highlighting how investing in impact for children is shifting from morality to materiality for business. 

UNICEF and CSR HELLAS reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening their joint efforts to engage businesses in Greece in establishing strategic and operational objectives that deliver tangible results for children and young people at both local and international levels.