In February a factory making veterinary medicines in Pakistan collapsed, trapping many workers, some of whom died. Among the workers were young children. In a very different illustration of how business can affect young people, Christian Aid has said that every day 1000 children lose their lives "to disease and poverty in poor countries because of illegal trade-related tax evasion" – and more because of legal tax-dodging practices. Last week, the Chinese government reported that 160 children in Guangdong are suffering from lead poisoning mainly as a result of industrial pollution, the latest in many similar incidents.
These examples demonstrate that almost every company has an impact on children. After all, children make up a third of the world's population. The impacts might be direct, such as the case of the builder of two for-profit detention facilities in Pennsylvania, US, which paid incentives to judges to give longer sentences to juveniles. Or they can be much further removed, for example buried down a company's supply chain.
It can be easier to engage with companies about children's rights than other human rights issues. Few business people would disagree that children have particular, and important, needs, and are more vulnerable than adults. It is also true, however, that many companies keep their initiatives to support children separate from their core business activities. For example, a mining firm might highlight its investment in schools around its mines in its corporate responsibility report, but fail to address the local community's concerns about children made ill by contaminated water supplies.
Please read on:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-business/childrens-rights-business-beyond-avoiding-harm?CMP=