Businesses include investment in children in their development strategy

UNICEF calls on businesses to include investment in children in their development strategies, from products, working environment to capital and long-term competitiveness.

The message was given at the Business Leaders Dialogue program organized by UNICEF in Ho Chi Minh City, August 19.

At the event, Ms. Silvia Danailov, UNICEF Representative in Vietnam, emphasized the connection between economic development and investment in children. According to her, artificial intelligence, infrastructure and capital will contribute to shaping the future of businesses, but the important factor is how businesses invest in people, especially children growing up today.

“They will become the workforce, innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders who contribute to writing Vietnam’s next chapter. Therefore, investing in children is also investing in Vietnam’s future,” said Ms. Silvia Danailov.

This message becomes urgent as Vietnam enters a decade of major changes in population, climate and technology. A shrinking workforce demands greater productivity, while communities need to increase their resilience to climate risks. The rapid development of technology also places new demands on knowledge and skills for future generations.

The fact that today’s children grow up healthy, learn, protect and be equipped with the necessary skills in the digital environment not only affects each child’s future, but also contributes to the formation of human resources, enhances the resilience of the community and supply chain, and creates a foundation for the sustainable development of the consumer market.

For business leaders, the question is how to turn this concern into specific actions, both creating value for society and associated with the long-term development strategy of the business.

From the experiences shared at the event, a common point was emphasized: businesses can create social value more effectively when starting from the areas in which they have expertise and strengths.

Kimberly-Clark has experience and understanding of the needs of babies, mothers and women. Meanwhile, UNICEF has technical expertise, a network of cooperation with the Government and the capacity to implement programs on a large scale, especially in communities lacking essential services.

According to Mr. Nitish Gupta, Managing Director of Southeast Asia and General Director of Kimberly-Clark Vietnam, the complementarity of expertise and resources between the two sides is the foundation for the cooperative relationship between Kimberly-Clark and UNICEF.

“Going together is not just a financial story. It is the combination of common goals and the strengths of each side that can create long-term impacts for society,” he said.

Also at the event, Ms. Vuu Le Quyen, General Director of Biti’s, said: “Investing in the development and happiness of children is important, because Vietnam can only develop successfully and sustainably when we build a new generation of human resources that are healthy, happy and have the opportunity to develop their full potential.”

Changes in the way businesses approach social issues are also happening in the charity sector. Ms. Ann Putnam Marks, head of UNICEF’s Asia-Pacific Regional Partnership, said volunteerism is gradually shifting from single donations to longer-term partnerships.

The partnership between the Techajareonvikul family – the entrepreneurial family behind the ecosystem of businesses operating in the retail, distribution and consumer goods sectors in Thailand and UNICEF Thailand is an example of how the resources, network and scale of business operations can complement UNICEF’s expertise, thereby creating positive and lasting impacts for the community.

Through the BJC Big C Foundation, the Techajareonvikul family has brought UNICEF’s knowledge and expertise on comprehensive childhood development into the operations of a large-scale retail system. Family-friendly workplace policies, in-office crèches, breastfeeding support spaces, and children’s areas keep the values ​​of partnership present in the daily experiences of employees and customers.

“Currently, our staff has the opportunity to receive the knowledge and values ​​we learned from the companionship and guidance of UNICEF. People also understand more about the importance of caring not only for their own families but also for families in the community, and they feel proud to be part of that journey,” Ms. Thapanee Techajareonvikul shared.

Ms. Thapanee Techajareonvikul believes that such a positive environment is the foundation for a business to succeed and become a responsible part of society.

The stories at the dialogue show that investing in children can start with the decisions businesses make every day: what products to produce and sell, how to build a working environment, how to use resources and what values ​​to choose to pursue long-term. Because after all, the children growing up today are the ones who will continue the development story of Vietnam tomorrow.