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LONDON, England, 12 March 2012 – Approximately 200 leaders from business, the UN, governments, academia and civil society gathered in London today to celebrate the global release of the ‘Children’sRights and Business Principles’ , the first comprehensive set of principles to guide companies on the full range of actions they can take in the workplace, marketplace and community to respect andsupport children’s rights.
Developed by UNICEF, the United Nations Global Compact and Save the Children, this initiative leads the way in recognizing children’s rights as an essential investment in thefuture. 
Integrating children’s rights into business
While the business and human rights agenda has evolved significantly in recent years, a child rights perspective has not yet been sufficientlyincorporated into business operations.
‘Children’s Rights and Business Principles’ recognizes the significant influence of businesses on children’s lives, and seeks to define standards to minimize thenegative impacts and maximize the positive impacts felt by children. 
The event featured a number of speakers from businesses, UN agencies and civil society, who showcased ways in which businesses canintegrate child rights in core strategies and operations. These included senior executives from Ikea, Unilever, and Marks and Spencer ;  business representatives described why they feel considerationof children’s rights is important to their business, and discussed challenges and opportunities in advancing this work.
Corporate Social Responsibility
The ‘Children’s Rights and BusinessPrinciples’ initiative is one element of UNICEF’s new Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy. UNICEF recognizes that business can play a strong role in helping to advance child rights, and is workingwith companies as part of a comprehensive corporate engagement approach.
Child-focused CSR goes beyond simple philanthropy – it means businesses take into account the expectations and needs of...