Learning module 1

In this first module you will be introduced to certain key concepts and tools. After this module you will learn how children’s rights are an integral part of larger sustainability and business critical issues in your sector. You will also be able to start identifying the benefits of integrating a child rights perspective into your organization’s sustainability agenda, stakeholder engagement, profitability, risk mitigation/prevention and employee satisfaction, among other things.

We will showcasing our Benchmark – The State of Children’s Rights and Business, and you will learn how to use your company scorecard to identify gaps in your company disclosures/practice. We will also be introducing our Children’s Rights and Business Workbook, which we will use as a tool throughout the academy.

Please see here for the assignment you were given in session 2 on Jan 25th. If there are any questions don’t hesitate to reach out to us: academy@globalchildforum.org.

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MATERIAL FROM SESSION 1

JENS WINKLER, CR-MANAGEMENT EXPERT AND HUMAN RIGHTS CONSULTANT AT ELEVATE

• Slide deck: Human Rights Due Diligence & Children’s Rights
• What are the differences in the managing these issues if focus on child rights or focused on corporate social responsibility or ESG models?
  ESG topics and social responsibility are broader concepts covering a wide range of issues. Meaning that, when focusing on SR or ESG you will focus on the width of topics, when you focus on children rights and business principles you will look for depth for one particular topic. ESG-related overarching management is a must. Deep-diving in to children rights should come as a result either of a broader risk analysis or derived by the hot topics/focus areas of a sustainability strategy.

• Is Educating children about their right in respect of how businesses deal with them not also a responsibility of businesses and if it is how do companies usually do these, is it campaigns, media, just curious because for children to be aware they would need some education. Do these also include parents?
  Providing empowerment and capacity building for potentially affected right holders is a demand by HRDD-concepts. So, yes, children should be educated or sensitized about corporate business conduct and how to raise concerns to companies by which channels. Targeting children through capacity building in the supply chain is very sensitive issue. In reality, most companies aim at the management of business partners training them on respect for children rights. For own operations and the customer side, I think companies are more confident to directly engage with children and parents.

ANITA HOUSEHAM, DIRECTOR HUMAN RIGHTS AT TELENOR

Examples of child rights initiatives at Telenor:

• Digital Birth Registration – Telenor Group
• Be Smart Use Heart – Telenor Group
• Child Online Safety – Telenor Group
• Respect – Telenor Group
• Managing Human Rights – Telenor Group

LINK TO MURAL BOARD

• Break out session. corporate impact on children 

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Slide deck session 2, Benchmark scorecards

Convention on the rights of the child (1989)

Convention on the rights of the child, General comment no. 16 (2013)
on State obligations regarding the impact of the business sector on children’s rights

The Children’s Rights and Business Principles (2012)
Developed by UNICEF, the UN Global Compact and Save the Children – the Children’s Rights and Business Principles (the Principles) are the first comprehensive set of principles to guide companies on the full range of actions they can take in the workplace, marketplace and community to respect and support children’s rights. Based on existing standards, initiatives and best practices related to business and children, these Principles seek to define the scope of corporate responsibility towards children.

The Children’s Rights and Business Principles in context (2014)
This pamphlet explains how the Children’s Rights and Business Principles (CRBP) fit within the wider context of business and human rights.

How Business Affects us (2011)
Summarizes inputs received from over 400 young people aged 7-17 in nine countries

The Corporate Sector and Children’s Rights Benchmark Methodology (2021)