UNICEF today launched Tools of the Trade, a series of tools that provides guidance for how ICT companies can adopt or refine their policies, strategies and programmes to reduce risks or maximize opportunities for children. The tools can be applied to a wide range of industry players including mobile operators, Internet providers, social media platforms and gaming companies.

Millicom and UNICEF, with support from DNV GL developed the ‘Child Rights Impact Self-Assessment Tool for Mobile Operators’ focusing on issues including product safety, child labour, security arrangements and environmental impacts such as e-waste.

Together with the LEGO Group, UNICEF developed the Child Online Safety Assessment tool to help companies assess whether they have the correct policies and systems in place to respect children’s rights in the online world. The tool also outlines measures that companies can take to address challenges such as the transmission of child sexual abuse material, inappropriate content and online bullying, but also offers advice on how companies can facilitate responsible digital citizenship, learning and civic participation to advance children’s  rights to expression and information. Both tools were open for consultation in early 2016 and received a range of inputs from both companies and civil society. Many thanks to those of you who contributed to the consultation.

UNICEF and GSMA partnered to develop a Notice and Takedown Guide, which aims to support companies in establishing policies and practices that enable the prompt and effective removal of online child sexual abuse material.

In addition to the tools, UNICEF has developed training modules that can be used to build capacity within companies and among key stakeholders on child rights, as well as case studies demonstrating successful or innovative examples of how companies are tackling child rights issues, and videos of industry describing why a commitment to child rights is necessary.

All of these materials can be downloaded here: http://www.unicef.org/csr/childrensrightsandinternet.htm