Children's Rights and Business Atlas

Businesses, investors and organisations alike need to understand how their actions impact children’s rights across the globe. The Children’s Rights and Business Atlas, developed with UNICEF, is the first comprehensive resource to guide companies in assessing risks to children within industry sectors and regions of operation.

ISS - Managing risk as a business model

ISS is one of the world’s leading facility services providers, employing approximately 500,000 people across 5 continents. This Deep Dive explores the policies the corporate group has put in place to safeguard children’s rights. From the supply chain to their direct business operation in for example schools and kindergartens, the company is taking measures to address risks posed to children.

“It’s not about the adults setting restrictions on their interactions with children: it’s the children who set their own boundaries and the adults have to understand how to act in respect of that.” Lo Hjorth, Director People & Culture, ISS Facility Services AB, Sweden

How does business affect children's rights?

In this video Tara Collins from Ryerson University and Kay Tisdall from University of Edinburgh share how business can work to include a children's rights perspective. This video is part of a series of interviews with leading experts in the field. They were asked about the importance of child participation and business.

Side by Side

What can your business to do support children's rights? Together we can spark action. Global Child Forum, A heart for children. A head for business.

H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria at Global Child Forum 2018

H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria speaking at the Global Child Forum in Stockholm 2018.

Children's Rights and Business Atlas - Introduction Video Short

The Children’s Rights and Business Atlas helps businesses identify potential impacts on the lives of children, especially where it is most needed, and guides the integration of children’s rights into company due diligence practices and procedures.

Guide to a Child-centred Labour Policy

What makes for a good child labour policy? Despite the fact that businesses are more aware of and increasingly proficient in developing responses to child labour risks, our findings raise concerns around the actual impact of the policies in place and their implementation throughout operations and supply chains. To provide guidance on these issues, this study presents a set of 10 business approaches to combat child labour together with examples of business practices that show promise. These approaches aim to provide innovative pathways for companies that want to begin their journey of responding to child labour risks, ensuring they comply with their responsibilities, and then continue on, achieving increasingly sustainable methods to support accountability for eradicating child labour.

Corporate Responses to Protecting Children's Rights in the Nordic Region

In an effort to provide insights and guidance on how businesses protect – or fall short in protecting – children’s rights in the Nordic Region, this report draws on one of Global Child Forum’s essential research products: The corporate sector and children’s rights benchmark. More specifically, insights are provided across three areas where the corporate sector impacts children’s rights: The Workplace, The Marketplace, The Community and the Environment. In 2016, Global Child Forum, in partnership with Boston Consulting Group, published a benchmark study of the 299 largest companies in the region. This report is a follow-up to that study. An updated benchmark analysis has been conducted on 20 of the region’s largest companies.

Children's Voices - Four countries. Four stories.

In a world where big ideas about children’s rights are presented at high-level events, seminars and workshops, the voice of the children themselves is often conspicuously absent. Global Child Forum and CCR CSR have proudly produced a short-film that gives a voice to children, while at the same time inspiring businesses to invest in child rights. This full version film includes four short stories shot in four different countries: China, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Each story can also be found as a short film. Global Child Forum and CCR CSR appreciate if being referred to if/when the films are being showcased in channels or at events where we are not present. #ChildrensVoices

Forum report on Southeast Asia 2016

Under the theme “Mobility & Connectivity: Children’s Rights and Sustainable Business”, Forum attendees were inspired through plenary panels and solution-driven ActionLabs sessions. The Forum highlighted opportunities to advance children’s rights presented by fast technological progress, a young, growing workforce and the expanding travel and tourism in the region and explored how stakeholders could ensure that children’s rights are respected and fulfilled. Read the report!

Managing Community and Environmental Impacts

How can businesses work effectively with communities, NGOs and governments to mitigate their negative impacts on local communities while increasing their social contribution? This question was discussed by the following panellists at the Global Child Forum at the Royal Palace earlier this year: Brian Ganson, Head at the Africa Centre for Dispute Settlement, University of Stellenbosch Business School; Nina Schefte, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at Norsk Hydro and Simon Lord, Chief Sustainability Officer at Sime Darby Plantation Berhad. Additionally, Professor John Knox, former UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment, shared some of his recent findings.

Children Talking, Adults Listening: Practical experiences in implementing participation

What are the reasons for making children’s voices an integral part of processes, the benefits and challenges of implementing children’s participation, and their experiences consulting and collaborating with children.

Children´s Rights and Business Atlas - Marketplace

The Marketplace Index measures marketing to children, and safe products and services for children including online safety. Businesses, investors and organisations alike need to understand how their actions impact children’s rights across the globe. The Children’s Rights and Business Atlas, developed together with UNICEF, is the first comprehensive resource to guide companies in assessing risks to children within industry sectors and regions of operation. Through indices, global interactive maps and country scorecards, the Atlas provides a quantitative assessment on the degree to which children’s rights are protected within 195 countries and across 5 industry sectors.

Children´s Rights and Business Atlas - Workplace

The Workplace Index measures child labour and decent work for young workers, parents and caregivers. Businesses, investors and organisations alike need to understand how their actions impact children’s rights across the globe. The Children’s Rights and Business Atlas, developed together with UNICEF, is the first comprehensive resource to guide companies in assessing risks to children within industry sectors and regions of operation.

What does business need to think about when engaging children in their decision-making process?

In this video we asked Tara Collins from Ryerson University and Kay Tisdall from University of Edinburgh, what business need to think about when engaging children in their decision-making process. This video is part of a series of interviews with leading experts in the field. They were asked about the importance of child participation and business.

Global Child Forum at the Swedish Royal Palace 2018

On April 11, the 10th Global Child Forum 2018 was held at the Stockholm Royal Palace – where over 300 participants from around the world gathered to discuss child rights issues. Participants represented global companies, financial institutions, civil society, academia and government.

Listening to children: Incorporating their voices in business decisions

At the 10th Global Child Forum, Fauza and Kesia, two youth workers and members of the Indonesian Children's Advisory Committee shared their message to business on behalf of the world's working children.

Two Girls get a New Start and Skills through Remediation

CCR CSR, The Center for Child Rights and Corporate Social Responsibility, supports two girls from Myanmar getting back to school.

Children's Voices - Vietnam story

This is Tran Thanh Nam, a former bartender and current employee at Cuong Phat Pottery Company in Binh Duong, Vietnam. At the tender age of 15, Nam decided to drop out of school and the world of education behind. "I wasn’t very mature back then" he says. When Nam left school, finding a decent age-appropriate job was difficult, leaving him with no option but to take high-risk jobs like bartending until late at night. But since early 2018, Nam, now 17, has been working at Cuong Phat Pottery Company. The factory is taking part in a youth development programme which creates opportunities for out-of-school youth such as Nam. This has been a new chance for Nam, changing his life. This is one of four stories profiled in, "Four countries. Four stories” - a film collaboration between Global Child Forum and CCR CSR. The video gives voice to children who talk about the impacts of businesses on their lives. #ChildrensVoices

Children's Voices - Myanmar story

15-year-old Warwar Nwe was just ten years old when she had to drop out of school. “My father had to go to Yangon to get medical treatment and so, our whole family came along with him to Yangon,” she says with a sense of sadness. In Yangon, Warwar Nwe missed her old life: “I felt very sad and cried. I couldn’t see my friends and teachers anymore.” But when Warwar Nwe was 14 she heard about a garment factory recruiting young workers. This is the story about how a business initiative positively can change the life for children. It is one of four stories profiled in, "Children's Voices” - a film collaboration between Global Child Forum and CCR CSR. The video gives voice to children who talk about the impacts of businesses on their lives. #ChildrensVoices

Children's Voices - China story

Rongxuan has no memory of the day his mother left him behind with his grandparents so that she could return to work in Dongguan. At the time, Rongxuan was only two months old. But today, thanks to a business initiative, Rongxuan and his mother have something to celebrate. Theirs is one of four stories profiled in, "Children's Voices” - a film collaboration between Global Child Forum and CCR CSR. The video gives voice to children who talk about the impacts of businesses on their lives. #ChildrensVoices

Children's Voices - Bangladesh story

This film is about Nadiya, 2, and her mother Nasima Begum, 29, who is a garment worker in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Although factories in Bangladesh are legally obligated to provide daycare for young children, most do not comply with the law, thereby excluding mothers like Nasima from the labour force. However, this film showcases the positive affects business can have when supporting children's rights in the operations. This is one out of four stories presented in "Children's Voices" - a film collaboration proudly produced by Global Child Forum and CCR CSR. The video gives voice to children who talk about the impacts of businesses on their lives. #ChildrensVoices

Clothing brands play an important role in tackling child labour

Clothing brands can learn from their peers who dare to be honest about detecting child labour in their supply chains by knowing the risks, limiting them, and taking action where necessary. As fashion designers take to the runway during New York Fashion Week, Sophie Koers, Associate Director of Fair Wear Foundation, reminds us that all that glitters is not necessarily gold.

Improving family life: How Chinese factories help workers, their children and their business

“My husband and I came out to work for our children but we couldn’t take them with us. We don’t have the time to take care of them or to cook for them…so we left them with their grandparents,” said Liu Jing*, a factory worker whose three children live with their grandparents in a village in Hunan, China. She is part of the “247 million” – the number of people who have migrated for work in China. She has been a factory worker for the past ten years, and like many in her situation, only returns home a handful of times throughout the year to see her children. If her situation can be represented by a number, so can her children’s. They belong to the “61 million”, the estimated number of children in China who grow up without one or both parents present. Behind these numbers however, are stories far more intricate, stories that have implications not only for society but for businesses as well.

Children´s Rights and Business Atlas - Introduction

Businesses, investors and organisations alike need to understand how their actions impact children’s rights across the globe. The Children’s Rights and Business Atlas, developed with UNICEF, is the first comprehensive resource to guide companies in assessing risks to children within industry sectors and regions of operation. Through indices, global interactive maps and country scorecards, the Atlas provides a quantitative assessment on the degree to which children’s rights are protected within 195 countries and across 5 industry sectors.

Children´s Rights and Business Atlas - Community and Environment

The Community and Environment Index measures children’s rights in relation to environmental protection, land rights, security arrangements, education, health and child protection. Businesses, investors and organisations alike need to understand how their actions impact children’s rights across the globe. The Children’s Rights and Business Atlas, developed with UNICEF, is the first comprehensive resource to guide companies in assessing risks to children within industry sectors and regions of operation. Through indices, global interactive maps and country scorecards, the Atlas provides a quantitative assessment on the degree to which children’s rights are protected within 195 countries and across 5 industry sectors.