Responsible Business for Children
UNICEF is engaging the business community in Viet Nam to strengthen its knowledge, capacity and commitment to respect and support children’s rights as outlined in the Children’s Rights and Business Principles
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- Tiếng Việt
The Challenge
Three key industries have been identified by UNICEF based on their economic growth importance to Viet Nam and potential high impacts on children: apparel and footwear sector, Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) and travel and tourism.
Apparel and Footwear Industry
This industry provides workers with stable job opportunities and an important source of income to support their families and alleviate poverty. However, at the same time, it faces challenges in protecting key children’s rights, such as childcare provision, breastfeeding promotion, maternity protection and child labour.
Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) Industry
Child online protection has not always been taken seriously by many businesses in this industry due to limited understanding of their responsibilities. While improving access to the internet and ICT training has been an industry priority, there have been limited interventions to promote a safer online environment for children.
Travel and Tourism Industry
Two key issues related to children’s rights protection need to be raised and resolved: child prostitution, child trafficking and children involved in commercial sexual activity and the emergence of orphanage and school visit tourism that could lead to neglect of children’s rights
The Solution
A strategic partnership with the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), Office for Business Sustainable Development (SDforB) has positioned UNICEF to advocate for the adoption of the Children’s Rights and Business Principles by the business community. The Project “Promoting Children’s Rights and Business Principles among Enterprises in Viet Nam” has been co-implemented by UNICEF and VCCI since 2017 to promote actions by key businesses with high impacts on children and strengthen multi-stakeholder engagement.
- Evidence generation
A series of assessments, surveys and research has been conducted in important themes such as children’s rights protection, promotion of hand washing and breastfeeding, provision of childcare in the workplace and employability skills of marginalized young workers.
- Advocacy
UNICEF and VCCI have taken the lead in positioning child rights in business 2030 sustainability Agenda, leading policy advocacy to regulate business operations and its impacts on children and the provision of technical inputs on child rights criteria for Corporate Sustainability Index/CSI 2021 sub-award category on child rights.
- Awareness raising
A series of campaigns and activities has been implementing to raise private sector awareness of good practice in child protection and family-friendly policies in the workplace.
- Capacity Building
UNICEF has been implementing several programmes with the engagement of business, such as “Children’s Rights in the Workplace Programme for Footwear and Apparel Manufacturers” and the parenting training programme “Nobody’s perfect” to improve the well-being of children, working parents and young workers. In addition, workshops and events have been conducted to build capacity of businesses and key government officials on the Children’s Rights and Business Principles.
For more information, please visit our website at: http://crbp.com.vn/ and our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/CRBPproject/