© UNICEF

Committed to saving children’s lives, upholding their rights, and helping them achieve their full potential, UNICEF works devotedly in over 190 countries and territories. Since 2017, we have proudly supported UNICEF through individual donations, funding essential initiatives that help communities in crisis. Earlier this year, we were honoured to launch our long-term strategic partnership with them, allowing us to contribute on a different level.

→ Read more about Visma’s partnership with UNICEF

Standing up for children’s rights and futures

World Children’s Day (WCD), established by the United Nations, is a global day of action dedicated to promoting and protecting the rights and wellbeing of all children. The theme of this year’s WCD is “Listen to the Future”, and is all about bridging the generational gap between children and adults. Adults are encouraged to engage in open conversations with children about what kind of future they envision, creating a safe space for reflection and understanding their opportunities. Through the children’s unique perspectives, UNICEF aims to showcase how deeply kids value their rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and why these rights must be protected at all costs.

As a global movement dedicated to children, WCD is very important to UNICEF and their work. It marks the anniversary of the CRC, and is a call to action for schools, communities, institutions, sports organisations, and businesses to champion and support children’s rights. Each year, corporate partners of UNICEF from all kinds of industries, including Visma, support WCD by contributing to raising awareness. It serves as an important reminder to advocate for children’s rights and renew our commitment to building a brighter future for all children.

Child rights are human rights. They are non-negotiable. But in too many places today, children’s basic rights are being denied and attacked. World leaders must uphold their commitments to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and protect the rights of every child, everywhere.

Mimmi Goude, Global Lead Account Manager at UNICEF Norway

→ Discover the UPSHIFT programme, one of UNICEF’s key initiatives for children and young people across the globe

Mimmi Goude, Global Lead Account Manager at UNICEF Norway, visiting Visma’s headquarters

How businesses can make a difference in support of WCD

Internal employee engagement

At Visma, we hosted special celebrations of WCD at our Oslo headquarters and some of our offices in the Netherlands, gathering coworkers and their children to spend memorable time together. The aim was to inspire and engage all participants, big or small, while also supporting UNICEF and child welfare globally.

Open discussions were held to reflect on children’s rights and share ideas on how to best support UNICEF’s work. Some events also showed videos featuring interviews with some of our coworkers’ children, where we helped them understand what UNICEF is and what their mission involves. By creating a safe space for meaningful conversations, they got to reflect on their own opportunities compared to those of children in less fortunate circumstances – all in a manner appropriate for their age.

Here are some examples of internal initiatives your business could do:

• Children Takeover Day: Similar to our events, you can organise a day for children to visit the workplace and engage in roles, assets, platforms, and channels in a fun and meaningful way – allowing them to express their views and imagination for the future.
• Workshops: Host internal workshops or lunch-and-learn sessions to discuss the global challenges that are impacting children today. Open up the floor to employees to share ideas on how the company can contribute.
• Employee participation in social responsibility: Encourage employees to engage in community or volunteer initiatives focused on children’s rights. Provide information on what’s accessible on a local level.
• Children’s rights activities: Offer activities and information around children’s rights, such as sharing the CRC internally.

Children’s Day at Visma

Sharing UNICEF’s work

UNICEF’s efforts across the world are crucial for children and should be celebrated whether your organisation is a UNICEF partner or not. Your business can contribute by amplifying UNICEF’s messages and resharing their WCD content on your own channels. Find this content on UNICEF’s social media pages and unicef.org.

Social media and community outreach

There are many ways businesses can engage with and support WCD through outreach and social media:

• Community outreach: Share the WCD message with customers, industry partners, local communities, and other stakeholders to encourage participation in events, share visions for the future, and support children’s rights causes.
• Social media: Use social media to amplify the voices of children. Engage with the hashtag #WorldChildrensDay and encourage followers to:
  • Share ideas on how businesses can positively impact children’s futures
  • Highlight children’s own contributions, such as artwork or essays
  • Share your own activities and initiatives to inspire other organisations
  • Use the hashtag #WorldChildrensDay on X, where messages may be added to UNICEF’s page
  • Look out for UNICEF’s WCD messages on unicef.org, other social media platforms, and on UNICEF’s national channels

External engagement

Here are some initiatives that businesses can organise or support externally to demonstrate their commitment to children’s rights:

• Volunteer days: Take part in volunteer activities like mentorship, donation programmes, or environmental clean-ups.
• Fundraising events for children’s rights: Organise fundraising events where employees can support UNICEF or similar initiatives, or promote external events that are organised within your local community.
• Partnerships: Look into the possibilities of partnering with local schools, educational institutions, or non-governmental organisations to collaborate on events and initiatives.

By listening to children and amplifying their voices, we provide them with a safe space to express themselves, share their ideas for a better world, and make sure their priorities shape the actions taken today. By partnering with UNICEF and supporting their crucial work, we contribute to making that vision a reality.