Private Sector
At the local level, business has tremendous political influence and enormous social and environmental impact in urban areas and therefore an important role to play in building child-friendly cities. The private sector has a very important role to play in building child-friendly cities.
It can improve the rights of children and protect them from harm through the way in which it treats employees, operates its facilities, develops and markets its products, provides its services, and exerts its influence on economic and social development.
More specifically businesses can:
- Ensure that the products and services that they provide are safe.
- Provide decent work and working conditions for young workers, parents and caregivers, and support their workers in their roles as parents and caregivers.
- Respect children’s rights when acquiring or using land for business operations.
- Use marketing and advertising that respects and supports children’s rights.
- Reinforce community and government efforts to protect and fulfil children’s rights.
At the city level, professionals such as real estate developers, architects and engineers can be pro-active in applying a child-friendly lens to their work. This can include setting or adhering to child-friendly standards and implementing child-friendly policies in their work.
While governments are the primary duty-bearers and are obliged to protect and fulfill the rights of children in their jurisdiction, the private sector also has a responsibility to respect human rights. Ways in which businesses can positively affect the lives of children have been outlined in the Children’s Rights and Business Principles.