Global Child Forum

Global Child Forum 2024:
Engaging Youth as Key Stakeholders in Business

PRESS RELEASE

Stockholm, October 8

Under the patronage of Their Majesties King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, the Global Child Forum returns to the Royal Palace of Stockholm on October 23, 2024. This year’s Forum will focus on how businesses can integrate children’s rights into their corporate governance and strategies.

The Forum will bring together over 100 delegates from more than 25 countries, creating a dynamic platform for leaders in business, government, and civil society to collaborate on advancing children’s rights.

Key highlights of the Forum:

  • Panel discussion led by youth: A key feature of the Forum will be a panel discussion led by Sweden’s UN Youth Representative Bitanya Kassaye, exploring how children’s rights can be embedded in corporate strategies. The panel will also discuss the crucial role that youth play as stakeholders in shaping global business practices and driving sustainability.
  • Exclusive briefing on the 2024 State of Children’s Rights & Business Report: Attendees will receive a preview of the 2024 report, which offers comprehensive insights into how 1,800 corporations worldwide are addressing children’s rights within their operations.
  • Keynote Addresses by Influential Leaders: Benjamin Dousa, Sweden’s Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, and Georg Kell, Founding Director of the UN Global Compact and Chairman of Arabesque Group, will deliver keynote speeches. They will highlight global leadership in promoting children’s rights on the global stage.

“The Global Child Forum is more than just a meeting; it’s a catalyst for change,” said Ekin Björstedt, Secretary General for Global Child Forum. “By bringing together thought leaders, decision-makers, and young voices from across sectors and around the world, we are driving a critical dialogue on integrating children’s rights into business strategies. Our strong call to action is clear: businesses must listen to children, not as a token gesture, but as vital stakeholders whose perspectives are crucial to shaping a sustainable and equitable future. Children’s rights are not just a ‘nice to have’—they are a must for any responsible business strategy.”

 

For more information, contact:

Media Contacts:

Linda Ravin Lodding

+46 72 387 0248

linda.lodding@globalchildforum.org

 

Jenny Harler

+46 73 904 8585

jenny.harler@scencia.com

 

Our strong call to action is clear: businesses must listen to children, not as a token gesture, but as vital stakeholders whose perspectives are crucial to shaping a sustainable and equitable future.

Ekin Björstedt

Secretary General, Global Child Forum

About Global Child Forum

Founded in 2009 by the Swedish Royal Family, Global Child Forum is a leading forum for children’s rights and business dedicated to innovative thinking, knowledge-sharing and networking. Global Child Forum believes in the power and responsibility of business, working in partnership with all parts of society, to create a prosperous, sustainable and just society for the world’s children. In addition to forums, Global Child Forum delivers research perspectives, best practices and risk assessment tools designed to unlock opportunities for business to integrate children’s rights into their operations and communities. For more information, please visit: www.globalchildforum.org.