What is the Children’s Rights Charter in Business Initiative?
The Charter of Children’s Rights in Business is a new initiative in Poland. It is intended to encourage business to take concrete actions to protect children’s rights throughout the entire value chain of enterprises. It was prepared by the Responsible Business Forum in cooperation with companies and social organizations.
The Charter of Children’s Rights in Business refers to respecting the rights of children in the broad context of the impact of enterprises. Among other things, it is to foster the creation of a good and friendly workplace for parents, support them in reconciling the role of parent and employee, and responsible employment. The Charter of Children’s Rights in Business addresses the issue of respecting the rights of children as users of products and services as well as recipients of marketing messages, responsible sales of products and services aimed at children. In addition, it ensures special care when creating communication materials that use the image of a child. The Charter obliges companies to introduce appropriate requirements for their suppliers, contractors and business and social partners.
In addition, companies that decide to sign the Charter and implement it in their companies, undertake to promote knowledge about children’s rights among various stakeholders and engage in actions to respect them in business and in Polish society.
„- Referring to Janusz Korczak’s statement – „There are no children, there are people” – we want to show how important it is for business to respect children’s rights. We want companies to recognize and be aware of their impact on children’s rights and manage it responsibly. The Charter prepared by us can help them in this – emphasizes Monika Kulik, member of the board of the Responsible Business Forum.
New EU regulations on sustainable development management – CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) and CSDDD (Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive) pay companies more attention to respecting human rights – including children’s rights – in the entire value chain. This means specific commitments for companies to also respect children’s rights, avoid violations of them and take corrective action if such violations occur.
– It is extremely important that all participants of social life be involved in the protection of children’s rights: public institutions, social organizations, state authorities and business. We must jointly create such conditions that the child’s subjectivity and all his rights as a human being are preserved – says Dr. Marek Michalak – founder of the Institute of Children’s Rights. Korczak, Ombudsman for Children in 2008-2018.
– I am glad that business is actively involved in the protection of children’s rights in Poland. It is our common duty – of our state, public and social institutions, enterprises, the whole society and ourselves. The Charter of Children’s Rights in Business can motivate companies to take a comprehensive and systemic approach to respecting these rights – adds Monika Rosa, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Group for Children’s Rights.
The next step in the plans of the Responsible Business Forum will be to encourage companies and other organizations to sign the Charter, and thus to submit a declaration of specific actions to respect children’s rights in business and social activities. The Charter will be supplemented with a compendium of knowledge on respecting children’s rights in business, along with good practices of companies that already undertake such activities.
Supported by Norway through Norway Grants 2014-2021, in the frame of the Programme “Social Dialogue – Decent Work”.
