This year, there is great interest from companies in UNICEF’s educational program on the impact of business on children

Another cycle of UNICEF’s CSR academy ‘Children are our most important business’ has been successfully completed, with 25 participants from the following companies and organizations: Ina, d.d., HŽ infrastruktura d.o.o., Valamar Riviera d.d., Slatinska banka d.d., Hrvatska poštanska banka d.d., Dukat d.d., OTP banka d.d., AD Plastik d.d., Hauska & Partner, Komunikacijski ured Colić, Laco i partneri, DHL FREIGHT D.O.O., Ivančica d.d., Selvita d.o.o., Hrvatska udruga kreditnih unija, Udruga UZOR, Antropoti Concierge Service – Antropoti LTD., Hrvatska udruga poslodavaca and the Croatian Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Through four workshops of this educational program, which deals with the impact of business on children, participants gained knowledge about the steps to integrate children’s rights into business processes and management, how to conduct a thorough analysis of business related to the impact on children’s rights, and how to include children’s rights in sustainability reports, all aimed at improving sustainable business practices.

– When you think about children’s rights in business, it somehow implies that all rights are respected and that the topic is not subject to deeper reflection, even when it comes to companies like mine, which have a long tradition of respecting all human rights, including children’s. The CSR academy gave me a broader picture, encouraged me to think, and consequently led to an additional plan of activities that I can implement to further emphasize the importance of respecting children’s rights in every single segment – said Ines Borčić, Director of Human Resources and Corporate Affairs at OTP banka.

This year’s cycle featured lectures dedicated to special topics related to children’s rights and business, such as child- and family-friendly workplaces, the role of employers in encouraging greater involvement of fathers in childcare and upbringing, responsible marketing and advertising towards children, the impact of ICT technologies and digital business on children, EU regulatory frameworks related to corporate sustainability reporting, and more.

– I had the exceptional honor of participating in UNICEF’s CSR academy ‘Children are our most important business’, where I had the opportunity to expand my knowledge and skills in the field of corporate sustainability. This experience directed me to the importance of protecting children’s rights and taught me how to integrate them into the organization’s business practices. I believe this is crucial for building a society that will be safe and supportive for children. The CSR academy represents an excellent start for applying knowledge in practice and contributing to a sustainable future – stated Irena Delmonego, Marketing Manager at Ivančica d.d.

The CSR academy has been conducted by UNICEF, in collaboration with the Croatian Employers’ Association and the Croatian Business Council for Sustainable Development, since 2017. Participation in the workshops is free of charge, and more information about the education and applications can be found on UNICEF’s website.