UNICEF and Millicom want to make the web safer for kids

UNICEF and emerging markets telecoms giant Millicom have signed an agreement aimed at making the web a safer place for children.

The partnership will apparently strive for positive change within the industry through pilot implementation of the Children’s Rights and Business Principles and the UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Guidelines for Industry on Child Online Protection.

In an official release announcing the partnership, the two parties say they plan to create standards for good practice in the telecommunication sector that protect children online and respect their right to privacy, freedom of thought, opinion, culture and safety.

More specifically, UNICEF and Millicom want to help children avoid a number of online threats, including targeted marketing using their personal information, bullying and harassment, identity theft and online abuse.

They intend doing so by:

• Mapping the risks to and opportunities for children’s rights in the telecommunication sector and in specific operational settings
• Developing and promoting industry-specific guidance on how the telecommunication sector can improve respect for children’s rights, specifically through implementing the Children’s Rights and Business Principles and
• Developing case studies on lessons learned in implementing the Children’s Rights and Business Principles and the UNICEF and ITU Guidelines for Industry on Child Online Protection.

The UN-affiliated organisation and the telecoms company say they have been in discussion since 2012, when Millicom provided feedback on UNICEF’s Children’s Rights and Business Principles tools for implementation. It then piloted UNICEF’s Children’s Rights Checklist at its operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo. More recently the two have begun working more closely on a common set of objectives.

Millicom’s Executive Vice President of Strategic Operations and Partnerships, Rachel Samrén said: “Companies have many strategic and direct ways to influence children’s lives positively, beyond charity work or fighting child labour. At Millicom, we always ‘demand more’ and so we are proud to be at the forefront of putting into action the great work with UNICEF that takes a wider perspective on business responsibility and children.”

“UNICEF is committed to working with business to identify the shared value that can be created when improving child rights within each industry,” said Gérard Bocquenet, UNICEF Director of Private Fundraising and Partnerships. “We are proud to join Millicom in identifying how children can be better protected online in this growing virtual world. It is truly an important issue that is increasingly relevant to children everywhere.”