Child rights and business
Working together with businesses to prevent adverse impacts on children.
The way we conduct business anywhere in the world impacts children.
Workplace conditions, terms of labour and employment – even pricing and policies that limit the ability of parents to provide for their families: Each of these business decisions has consequences for children's well-being. In some cases, practices that do not violate adults’ rights can violate those of children – for example, setting pollution standards based on adult exposure, without accounting for child health outcomes.
More broadly, supply chain conditions, digital systems, sales and marketing messages, the use of land and pesticides, organizational security measures, and other dimensions of doing business also affect children in ways business leaders may not consider.
Key facts
- Over 1 billion children are touched by global business supply chains directly or indirectly, through their impact on families.
- Around 160 million children were subjected to child labour in 2020, with millions more at risk since the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Over 800 million mothers worldwide are not adequately protected with leave and cash benefits in case of maternity.
- Approximately 2 billion children live in areas where air pollution levels exceed World Health Organization (WHO) standards.
Children’s Rights and Business Atlas
When businesses sit down to assess their standards, policies and practices, children’s rights are largely overlooked. This is a critical missing link not just for businesses, but for governments, investors, trade unions and other decision makers.
Bringing children’s rights into the conversation requires a rethinking of the way businesses treat employees, operate facilities, develop and market products, provide services, and exert influence on their communities. Today, top businesses are beginning to look at their footprint and take measures to turn adverse impact into positive outcomes for children.
Topics in child rights and business
Finance and investing
Investors need to be cautious of making investments in companies with business practices that may cause harm to children.
UNICEF works with partners to develop practical guidance and tools for investors to assess a business’s performance based on how their practices support children’s rights.
>>Read: Investor Guidance on Integrating Children’s Rights into Investment Decision Making
Child rights in a digital world
An estimated one in three internet users globally is a child. Wider access to digital technologies poses significant risks to children, both offline and online.
UNICEF collaborates with governments and technology companies – from online gaming to mobile operators – to keep children safe online. We focus on ending online child sexual exploitation and abuse, assessing the impact of digital marketing and maintaining privacy. UNICEF seeks to help industry leaders and policymakers deliver a digital world where all children are happy and safe.
>> Read: Child Rights in the Digital Age
Supply chains and the workplace
Supply chains and the workplace can impact children in a number of ways. Related rights issues include poor living conditions, environmental pollution and hazards, and insufficient services and care for maternal health.
UNICEF promotes family-friendly policies that can offer parents and caregivers the time, resources and services they need to balance work and family life. We also work to prevent and respond to child labour, especially by strengthening the social service workforce.
>>Read Redesign the Future of the Workplace
>>Read Guidance on Child Labour and Responsible Business Conduct
State action on child rights
Although businesses are responsible for the impact of their activities on children's rights, the ultimate accountability lies with authorities at national and global levels. Governments have specific obligations to realize children’s rights when it comes to regulating business operations.
>>Read: Children's Rights in National Action Plans on Business and Human Rights
What we do
In 2012, UNICEF launched Children's Rights and Business Principles alongside Save the Children and the UN Global Compact. These principles look at the impact businesses have on children and ways to address them.
UNICEF has engaged businesses in over 70 countries, collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders, including industry associations, investors, academia, civil society and other UN agencies.
By working closely with business experts, we have built a body of evidence around children’s rights in sectors including garments, mining, and food and beverage. The issues this evidence reveals are relevant to many more sectors.
With Government partners, we have developed practical tools and guidance for businesses and policymakers on how to integrate respect for children’s rights into day-to-day work. These tools support impact assessment, action in supply chains and workplaces, practices in marketing and advertising, and child safeguarding.
By integrating children's rights into existing business models, UNICEF aims to achieve scale and sustainability while doing what we do best – putting children first.