Children's Rights in the new GRI Reporting Framework (G4)

As supporters of the Principles for Business and Children's Rights initiative by UNICEF, Save the Children and the UN Global Compact, we the undersigned, would like to highlight to GRI the imminent requirement to include company performance indicators related to Children's Rights within the G4 Guidelines framework.

The Principles on Business and Children's Rights, which have been developed on the foundation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (the most internationally ratified human rights convention), will specifically address the rights of the child in business context, when they are introduced in Q1 2012. They will fill the gap that has existed in this area and provide guidance for establishing a business-wide engagement with children’s rights.

The Principles focus both on the "minimum" standards for business in terms of ensuring that no child is harmed by their actions, but also look at actions which go beyond this minimum which can help to create value for children, communities and business. Key areas addressed in the Principles include: children's rights in the workplace, products and services, environment and resources and community impact.

We recognize that in order to achieve the desired end goal – sustainable business conduct respecting child rights – it is key to develop a framework for measuring company performance in this area and also offering guidance on reporting.

Consequently, we would like to urge GRI to anticipate developments in the field of children’s rights and help corporations become more involved in taking action in support of children’s rights.

We trust that our appeal will be taken into consideration and remain,