Individual National Consultant

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, child rights

Background:

Businesses impact on the lives of children in many ways, including some that a business may not even recognize. Due to the unique rapid physical, mental and emotional development of children, any existing or potential negative impact resulting from a business activity may have irreversible consequences on their growth. Children are stakeholders of businesses - as family members of employees, young workers, consumers and members of the community. Moreover, children are the future employees and business leaders.

A number of human rights instruments on promotion and protection of children rights in business context has been adopted, including Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography and the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Some countries are now in the process of developing a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights. The most relevant instruments on children's rights and business are: General Comment no.16 On State obligations regarding the impact of business on children's rights (2013); Children's rights and Business Principle (2012).

Under the international framework on children rights and business, states have obligations to consider the impact on children of operations (such as their products and services and their marketing methods and distribution practices - in normal and emergencies contexts), business-related laws and policies and ensure the enforceability of these laws, making sure businesses have responsibility to account for how their business operations impact children's rights.

Viet Nam initiated its reform economy since 1986. The government has strong policy to attract investment and business operation. Vietnam is a state member of Convention on the Rights of the Child [1] and many other international human rights conventions. During the past years, the government of Vietnam has taken a number of legislative, executive and judicial measures to promote and protect children's rights. In this context, it is important relevant stakeholders including government, business enterprises and relevant social organizations should respect, protect and work to progressively realize human rights in the context of business.

The Children's Rights and Business Principles ^[2] (CRBP) were launched in Viet Nam in 2014 by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, in partnership with Global Compact Network Vietnam (GCNV) (under Vietnam Chambers of Commerce and Industry/VCCI), UNICEF, Save the Children International and key foreign business associations. Mr. Vu Tien Loc, The Chairman & President of VCCI explicitly recognized the CRBP and showed strong commitment to promote the Principles.

As a follow-up to the launch, three key industries, i.e. Footwear and Apparel, Information Communication and Technology (ICT), and Travel and Tourism, were identified to be the first sectors to be guided by the CRBP based on their importance to Viet Nam's economic growth and their high impacts on children. Assessments were undertaken by UNICEF to identify the impacts of industries, especially travel and tourism and footwear and apparel, on children. A UNICEF pilot programme with footwear and apparel factories was implemented to test and design family friendly workplace policy solutions to be documented, replicated and scaled in partnership with VCCI. A Programme Cooperation Agreement with Office for Business Sustainable Development (SDforB) of the Vietnam Chambers of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) was finalized to implement a three-year project (2018-2021) to promote CRBP among enterprises in Vietnam. Human Rights Institute under the Ho Chi Minh Political academy was engaged to promote General Comment No. 16 and CRBP to relevant government departments and elected bodies.

[1] Convention on the Rights of the Child, https://www.unicef.org/child-rights-convention/convention-text.

[2] The Children's Rights and Business Principles (CRBP) released by UN Global Compact, UNICEF and Save the Children serves as an overall guidance framework for businesses by promoting respect and support for children's rights in the workplace, marketplace, community and environment. The Principles provide a child rights lens to the global standards on business and human rights, established by the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights for Implementing the United Nations 'Protect, Respect and Remedy' Framework.

Specific objectives and tasks:

Specific objectives:

- To provide timely technical inputs and review to the Children's Rights and Business Principles Project with the Vietnam Chambers of Commerce and Industry (until December 2021).

- To technically support the development of a new multi-year project document for continued collaboration with VCCI on children's rights and business.

- To provide technical inputs on CRB in relevant legislation on business and national action plans.

- To advise programme teams on integrating partnership with business into their programme activities, in consultation with regional and global office.

- In close cooperation with Child Protection section, to support the scaling-up of the holistic IECD parenting programme in the workplace and facilitate capacity building and support to private sector actors on policies to mitigate and remediate cases of child labour, as well as design of other thematic interventions (e.g. breastfeeding in the workplace).

- The consultant will work closely with the SDforB/VCCI, Employers Bureau of VCCI, Human Rights Institute under the Ho Chi Minh Political Academy, the Center for Child Rights and Business (former CCR-CSR), Labour Federation, Representatives of Export Processing Zones, NGOs and business consulting working on child rights with business.

This consultant will be based either in Ha Noi or Ho Chi Minh city depending on the situation.

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