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Article

31 Jul 2013

Author:
Mabel Wong, CSR Asia

The role of business in promoting and respecting the rights of children

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) released a General Comment...in March this year on State obligations regarding the impact of business. The Comment states that “business can be an essential driver for societies and economies to advance in ways that strengthen the realisation of children’s rights through, for example, technological advances, investment and the generation of decent work. However, the realisation of children’s rights is not an automatic consequence of economic growth and business enterprises can also negatively impact children’s rights”...If asked what impact they thought their companies had on children, the majority of executives, investors and other typical corporate stakeholders would probably say they have little or nothing to do with children. However the General Comment captures some very poignant thoughts, even though they are addressed to government states...are good points for business to consider. [Refers to Aviva, Body Shop (part of L'Oréal), HSBC, Kuoni and Microsoft]