Business Impact Analysis on Children, Adolescents and ...

Business Impact Analysis on Children, Adolescents and Young People in Montenegro

September 2020

Key findings and recommendations

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We hereby wish to extend our gratitude to the companies and business associations for their cooperation and participation in this analysis. We appreciate the valuable professional observations provided to us during our work by the team of the Chamber of Economy, the time and data they generously shared with us, and especially their participation in the data validation process. We are also grateful for the support and helpful comments from Ms. Elisabeth Andvig, expert on children’s rights and business from the UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia. Most of all, we would like to thank the children who made a valuable contribution to the entire process through their participation via the U-Report questionnaire.

Author: Prof. Nataša Krstić, PhD(research coordinator, international expert in the field of business impact on the rights of children)

RIJEČI ZAHVALNOSTI

Zahvaljujemo se kompanijama i poslovnim udruženjima na saradnji i učešću u predmetnoj analizi. Cijenimo vrijedne stručne opservacije koje nam je u toku rada pružao tim Privredne komore, vrijeme i podatke koje su velikodušno podijelili s nama, a posebno učešće u procesu validacije podatka.

Zahvalni smo i za podršku i korisne komentare gđe Elizabet Andvig, ekspertkinje za prava djece i biznis iz Regionalne kancelarije UNICEF-a za Evropu i Centralnu Aziju.

Najveću zahvalnost dugujemo djeci koja su svojim učešćem putem U-Report upitnika dali dragocjen doprinos cjelokupnom procesu.

Autorka:

prof. dr Nataša Krstić (koordinatorka istraživanja, međunarodna ekspertkinja iz oblasti uticaja biznisa na dječija prava)

BUSINESS IMPACT ANALYSIS ON CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN MONTENEGRO

Key findings and recommendations

Author: Prof. Nataša Krstić, PhD(research coordinator, international expert in the field of business impact on the rights of children)

Text editing: Peter Stonelake

Cover photo:UNICEF Montenegro / Duško Miljanić

Design & prepress:IMPULS Studio

September 2020

5Business Impact Analysis on Children, Adolescents and Young People in Montenegro

All companies, whether small or large, have an impact on children, directly or indirectly. That is why all companies also have a responsibility to promote and respect children’s rights – in their own operations as well as in all business relations.

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this analysis was to contribute towards understanding the extent to which children’s rights, as an integral part of human rights, are being recognized in the business sector and as a practice of corporate philanthropy, and to determine the role of core stakeholders in this process.

This report aims to provide guidance to companies and other stakeholders on what children’s rights mean in the context of doing business in Montenegro. The paper starts with a general overview of children’s rights in the business context, including the current business sector landscape and then outlines conclusions and recommendations designed for all the core stakeholders that have an influence on children’s rights and have a key interest in the outcome of children’s rights in Montenegro.

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6 Key findings and recommendations

WHY ARE CHILDREN EVERYONE’S BUSINESS?

Today, the power to make a systemic change no longer rests solely with governments and international organizations, as the business sector has unparalleled skills, resources and reach. Companies, no matter the size and sector, can play a crucial role in shaping a more sustainable world for children today and tomorrow.

Children are critical stakeholders of the business sector in Montenegro, as family members of employees, young workers, the next generation of employees, consumers, business leaders and part of the communities and environments in which companies operate. Through their products and services, the supply chain, manufacturing and marketing methods and distribution practices, as well as through environmental impacts and investments in local communities, companies have an impact on the lives of children, which can be positive or harmful. Moreover, in the Industry 4.0 era, businesses are also a source of technology and innovation, with their substantial reach, voice and influence.

Having recognized the need for the more substantial visibility of children’s rights, Save the Children, the UN Global Compact and UNICEF joined forces in 2012 to develop the Children’s Rights and Business Principles1 (CRBP). The CRBP is calling on businesses to put in place appropriate policies and processes, including a policy commitment and a due-diligence process to address the potential and actual impacts on children’s rights in the workplace, the marketplace, the community and the environment, each of which affects children differently (see Figure 1):

X The workplace: Companies should provide decent work for young workers, parents and caregivers (through respecting the rights of young workers and by ensuring that the workplace is family-friendly) and ensure the protection and safety of children in all business activities and facilities.

X The marketplace: Companies should: ensure that their products and services are safe; seek to support children’s rights through them; and use marketing and advertising that respects children’s rights.

X The community and the environment: Companies should: respect and support children’s rights concerning the environment; in security arrangements, help to protect children affected by emergencies; and reinforce local community and government efforts to protect and fulfil children’s rights.

1 See: www.unicef.org/csr/12.htm.

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Figure 1. The 10 Children’s Rights and Business Principles

Principle 4:Child protection& safety

Principle 3:Young workers,parents & caregivers

Principle 7:Environment & land

Principle 8:Security

Principle 9:Emergencies

Principle 10:Community &governmentefforts

Principle 6:Marketing &advertising

Principle 2:Child labour

Principle 5:Products &services

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Principle 1:Child Rightsintegration

When asked via the UNICEF U-Report platform “In which area should Montenegrin companies primarily support the rights of children and young people, directly or indirectly?” the young survey respondents gave the highest priority to the following areas:

Î Decent working conditions for young workers, parents and caregivers (59%)

Î Support for the rights of children and young people (58%)

Î Donations to organizations that support children, adolescents and young people (50%)


Montenegro’s small and open economy is predominantly service-based, with the service sector making a significant contribution to the country’s GDP and employment. The opening up of the economy, globalization and an unwillingness to respond to the demands of the international market, along with deindustrialization, have led to a decline in industry as a proportion of GDP. The most dominant service sector – tourism – influences the economy considerably more than merely its direct contribution to GDP2, given its connection with all aspects of society and its indirect impact on other sectors – agriculture, retail trade, real estate and construction, transport, culture, crafts and entertainment. Unfortunately, this sector has been most adversely affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic3.

The structural transformation of the country has been slow. Despite an increase in the value added by sectors, such as information and communication technology (ICT), finance and professional activities, their contribution to job creation remains low. As opposed to that, over half of the workforce is trapped in low-productivity jobs in the sectors of construction, retail trade and tourism, with wages being 20 per cent below the national average4.

The Smart Specialization Strategy 2019–20245 identifies the areas in which future key value chains should be developed to become the backbone of growth:

X Renewable energy sources and energy efficiency

X Sustainable agriculture and the food value chain

X Sustainable and health-related tourism

X ICT as the provider of digitalization support to other priority sectors

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) dominate the private-sector landscape, representing 99.8 per cent of all companies, with a contribution of 69.5 per cent to value added and of 80.1 per cent to employment. The largest share is concentrated in the sectors of trade, accommodation and hospitality, and construction. Large companies, although representing less than 0.2 per cent of all enterprises, produce one-third (30.5 per cent) of the value added and one-fifth (20 per cent) of the employment.

2 When indirect and induced contributions are added, tourist receipts account for around 25% of GDP.

3 Current projections for 2020 predict a heavy, 85% drop in tourism receipts relative to 2019.

4 ILO and EBRD, ‘COVID-19 and the World of Work: Rapid Assessment of the Employment Impacts and Policy Responses in Montenegro’, Geneva, Switzerland, 2020.

5 See: www.mna.gov.me/en/ministry/Smart_Specialisation.

BUSINESS SECTOR LANDSCAPE

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Montenegro is facing substantial regional disparities between the north of the country, the central part and the coastal region. The northern region of the country is considered economically underdeveloped, as it has the largest number of less-developed local self-government units (10 out of 11 municipalities), and also lags behind in the level of competitiveness and the number of active legal entities.

The main challenges in terms of boosting competitiveness and securing long-term, inclusive growth in the business sector are: increasing labour market activity; strengthening the regulatory environment; and formalizing the economy. The small size of the internal market is also an obstacle to innovation in products and services, which – if not intended for export, or are not scalable – are also not cost-effective.

After assessing the Montenegrin business sector based on its overall economic performance (contribution to GDP, exports, employment, growth potentials, national priorities), as well the impact on children’s rights6, the profiles of six business sectors were identified: (1) tourism; (2) finance; (3) telecommunications; (4) retail trade; (5) the media; and (6) energy. These business sectors were the subject of additional scrutiny, in the form of a combination of a desk review and semi-structured interviews with the executive/PR/HR managers of some of the leading companies in the sector. The aim was to understand better their direct and indirect impact on children’s rights (operations, products/services, policies and strategies), the potential to amplify their reach to children through core assets and the sector-specific drivers of corporate responsibility and philanthropy. Finally, for the selected sectors, the opportunities to engage in creating partnerships that create shared values7 for both children and companies were highlighted (see Figure 2).

Figure 2. Shared values between business and organizations supporting children and their rights

6 UNICEF has mapped eight sectors that have a major impact on children’s rights: ICT (telecommunication/mobile, IT, social media, gaming); food and agribusiness; pharmaceutical and healthcare equipment; travel and tourism; clothing; FMCG/retail trade; media/advertising; sports and toys; and banking and insurance.

7 UNICEF defines ‘shared value’ as partnerships that achieve a social impact at scale and deliver strategic economic value for business.

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The economy of Montenegro has been on an upward trajectory in the last few years, primarily due to the rise of tourism. External stability has been confirmed through European integration, with all the accession chapters opened and the prospects for accession in 2025 being positive. However, the crisis caused by COVID-19 has highlighted the imperfections of economic development so far. The low digitalization of businesses and public administration, the high level of the grey economy and undeclared work and a development strategy based on mass and seasonal tourism, combined with high public debt, have reduced room for manoeuvre of the new government, but have also highlighted the opportunities for pulling the country out of the middle-income trap.

High youth unemployment, leading to a brain drain (≈30%), the fact that young people prioritize the public sector when seeking employment, a low level of soft and digital skills, and a lack of labour supply for future economic development based on the Smart Specialization Strategy are some of the challenges that the business sector will be facing in the coming period. To overcome these, it is necessary to establish a closer connection with young people, who represent the future workforce and generators of ideas and innovations for growth of the business sector. The current attitudes of young people about the Montenegrin business sector indicate the existence of a mutual gap and misunderstanding, which was confirmed by the UNICEF U-Report survey (August 2020).

CONCLUSIONS

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Despite the country’s small economy, Montenegro’s business sector undoubtedly has significant power and influence in society, which can have a positive or negative impact on children’s lives. Large companies can impact children’s rights through the entire value chain by shaping consumer preferences, through dignified working conditions and environmental protection. The most dominant entities by size – SMEs – play a key role in local communities and the preservation of family values. Finally, the major business associations in the country can raise awareness about children’s rights in the business sector, implement family-friendly workplace policies and advocate for a positive change in public policies in the areas of labour conditions, education, parenting, health and child protection.

However, the low level of awareness of strategic corporate responsibility and its business benefits, together with the structure of the economy being dominated by SMEs and the aggravating business conditions caused by COVID-19 make it challenging to promote and enforce child rights in Montenegro’s business sector (see Table 1). Opportunities should be sought in the fact that children are the most desirable target group for social investment by Montenegrin companies in the process of the country’s accession to the EU and the recent adoption of the ‘Strategy for Exercising the Rights of the Child 2019–2023’. Moreover, COVID-19 has further imposed the need for the business sector to be more aware of the principles of child protection in emergencies, through its full integration into business procedures and policies8.

8 See: www.unicef.org/media/66351/file/Family-friendly-policies-covid-19-guidance-2020.pdf.

More than half (52%) of the young participants in the UNICEF U-Report survey believe that companies can help Montenegrin young people on their future development path, whereas over one-third (37%) believe that companies can partially help them, while having their own goals and agenda.

According to the young survey respondents, for companies to get closer to young people and their needs, it is necessary to offer them internships, volunteering and mentoring (80%), scholarships (72%), student and school visits to companies (42%) and to proactively participate in youth job fairs (37%), with the aim of reducing the gap between the future workforce and employers.

Although children are one of the primary groups supported by the business sector, when asked “Do you think that companies in Montenegro take care of children and young people?”, almost half of the young respondents stated that they felt companies did not take care of them (43%). The other half believe that companies only partially take care of children and young people (46%), which indicates that there is scope for increasing and improving support from the business sector aimed at children, adolescents and young people.


Table 1. Identified bottlenecks in the introduction of children’s rights in the business sector

Identified bottlenecks Manifestation

Functional bottlenecks

The low level of professionalism of management structures indicates the low capacity and awareness of executive management about how businesses can/do exert a tangible positive and negative impact on children.

An underdeveloped corporate governance culture and the rare practice of non-financial reporting.

Country SDGs are not embedded in business strategies and are not discussed at the level of executive boards.

Corporate philanthropy and the practice of ad-hoc donations as a dominant form of business-sector support to the society and the community.

Organizational bottlenecks

Support from the business sector to society and the community is realized mostly through the PR and marketing sectors, which are oriented towards gaining positive publicity and are not strategically developed and trained in understanding the importance of assessing the company’s impact on children’s rights.

Multinationals mainly conduct group initiatives at the local level and need to be approached in terms of child-rights programmes of support at the headquarter or regional level.

Budgetary bottlenecks

The COVID-19 crisis has significantly weakened the business environment, which will become very restrictive for financing socially responsible programmes and projects.

The government has indirectly contributed to the creation of the identified bottlenecks, by leaving the area of responsible business conduct as a recommendation, rather than as a regulated obligation. Namely, the business sector is not directly incorporated into nor responsible for the National Strategy for Sustainable Development (NSSD), which is why the practice of adopting business strategies that follow the national Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is non-existent in the business sector. Apart from the need for the adaptation of the National Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy in line with the EU practice9 and the development of the National Action Plan on the United Nations’ Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights10, what is also needed is relevant legislation on tax incentives for specific categories of donations, the introduction of environmental and social kitemarks for products and services, subsidies for companies that introduce CSR standards, the legal obligation of annual non-financial reporting for large and systemic companies, and the inclusion of specific CSR programmes in various national strategies and laws.

Given the unfavourable demographic trends11, the constraints in education and the labour market and the fact that every child is essential for the country’s future development, all of the mentioned segments should include the aspect of the business impact on children’s rights (see Table 2).

9 The EC Strategy on CSR: enhancing the visibility of CSR and disseminating good practices, improved self- and co-regulation processes and companies’ disclosure of social and environmental information. See: ec.europa.eu/growth/industry/sustainability/corporate-social-responsibility_en.

10 See: globalnaps.org/country; www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Business/Pages/NationalActionPlans.aspx.

11 Due to the aging population, Montenegro is facing rising healthcare costs, slower growth of human capital and an increasing ratio between the unproductive and productive population, which in the medium term is reflected in declining per capita income, i.e. a decline in the living standard.


Table 2. Advancement of responsible business conduct and opportunities for integrating children’s rights

Country’s needs Opportunities for child rights

National CSR Strategy

Linked to the socio-economic goals of the country and the corresponding SDGs, with the encouragement of corporate responsibility activities for children, adolescents and young people

NAP on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights

Based on the National Baseline Assessment (NBA) and stakeholder consultation process involving UNICEF and representatives of children and young people

Tax incentives for some categories of donations; subsidies for companies that introduce CSR standards

A stimulus for donations aimed at vulnerable and marginalized children; tax exemptions for food and in-kind contributions for vulnerable families and children

Environmental and social kitemarks for products and services

Safe products and services for children, based on conducted impact assessment12 and due-diligence process13

Law on Advertising

Responsible marketing and advertising practice, based on WHO recommendations for the marketing of food and beverages to children14, the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes15 and UNICEF toolkit on digital marketing to children16

The legal obligation of annual non-financial reporting

Enhanced with children’s rights in sustainability reporting17 and policy commitment18

Inclusion of specific CSR programmes in various national and sector-level strategies

The NSSD 2030 and the Strategy for Exercising the Rights of the Child 2019–2023 enhanced with CRBP

Finally, the conducted mapping of the six business sectors splits their profile into two tiers, in terms of their impact on the economy and child rights (see: Figure 3). The first tier consists of the sectors of telecommunications and finance, which need to be directly involved in the promotion of children’s rights in Montenegro:

Î These sectors do not have workplaces that harm children and families, which indicates maturity.

Î Their primary area of influence on children’s rights is from the marketplace, which suggests the capacity to improve child rights through products and services, purchasing habits and behaviour, marketing and advertising practices.

12 See: www.unicef.org/csr/css/Children_s_Rights_in_Impact_Assessments_Web_161213.pdf.

13 See: www.unicef.org/csr/child-safeguarding-and-business.html.

14 See: www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/publications/recsmarketing/en/.

15 See: www.who.int/nutrition/publications/code_english.pdf.

16 See: www.unicef.org/csr/css/industry-toolkit-children-digital-marketing.pdf.

17 See: www.unicef.org/csr/css/Childrens_Rights_in_Reporting_Second_Edition_HR.pdf.

18 See: www.unicef.org/csr/policy.html.


Î They demonstrate a high level of responsible business conduct and systemic corporate philanthropy.

Î They provide the highest opportunities for creating shared values among leading companies in the sector and organizations that support children and their rights.

The second tier includes the sectors of tourism, retail trade, media and energy, which, while advanced in particular impact areas, should be selectively engaged in those areas that cause child deprivation or provide opportunities for the promotion of children’s rights.

Figure 3. Sectors mapped by their relevance to the economy and children’s rights in Montenegro

TIER 1 TIER 2

1.Telecommunications3. Tourism

4. Retail trade

2. Finance5. Media

6. Energy


The recommendations for the promotion of children’s rights in the Montenegrin business sector are based on identified opportunities and weaknesses in the economy, the mapping of business sectors of strategic importance, and the current state of and prospects for SDGs and corporate responsibility. They are designed for all the core stakeholders that influence children’s rights and have a key interest in the outcome of children’s rights in Montenegro.

GOVERNMENT AND PRIMARY INDEPENDENT INSTITUTIONS

X Adoption of the ‘National CSR Strategy’ in line with the EU practice, encouraging corporate responsibility activities for children, adolescents and young people. Moreover, the impact of the business sector on children’s rights needs to be incorporated into and further specified in the 2021 Action Plan, divided into four impact areas: the workplace, the marketplace, the community and the environment.

X Adoption of the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAP) to fully implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, in line with EU practice. Ideally, the NAP should be integrated within the ‘National CSR Strategy’.

X Amendment of the Law on Companies in the form of the European Directive on Non-Financial Reporting19 for joint-stock companies and large/systemic companies; recommendation to include the impact of enterprises on children’s rights.

X Besides the Media Law, adopt the Law on Advertising, in line with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendations for the marketing of food and beverages to children, the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes and UNICEF’s toolkit on digital marketing to children.

X While some fiscal stimulus exists (for contributions to legally defined charitable entities), additional legislative incentives should be considered for companies investing in systemic corporate responsibility programmes towards children (e.g. VAT exemption, corporate

19 See: https://ec.europa.eu/info/business-economy-euro/company-reporting-and-auditing/company-reporting/non-financial-reporting_en.

RECOMMENDATIONS

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income tax deduction). These incentives should be linked to the areas of deprivation in countries, e.g. for donations of food and home supplies for marginalized families, scholarships (STEM for girls, and tourism scholarships), R&D, eco-innovation and digital projects with universities, youth entrepreneurship and children’s medical treatment. To avoid the situation where incentives may generate scope for abuse, they should be intended for companies that demonstrate strategic, responsible business conduct in the form of having the ISO 26000 standard or externally verified non-financial reporting.

X The current educational programmes, despite the government’s invested efforts, still lag behind the labour market’s needs. The Ministry of Education should consider setting up a diverse workgroup of youth advisers, business-sector representatives (e.g. from the HR committees of business associations) and ICT companies to hear their suggestions for modernizing and improving the education curriculum and fully applying the concept of digital classrooms.

X Implement forward-thinking government policies aimed at supporting young entrepreneurs, allocate funds for youth entrepreneurship in the state budget (e.g. through the Youth Development Fund) to help young people start their own businesses, with particular emphasis on the northern region.

X Enhance the 2030 National Strategy for Sustainable Development and the 2021 Action Plan with Child Rights and Business Principles.

X Integrate and stimulate child rights into public procurement processes.

BUSINESS SECTOR

X It is the responsibility of every major company to offer educational programmes for young people (scholarships, tuition, mentoring, study visits, work placements, soft-skilling and up-skilling), and to proactively establish innovative cooperation with VET schools and university faculties through hackathons, competitions, innovation projects and youth entrepreneurship. Support packages should combine training, access to finance and mentoring.

X Strengthen businesses’ voices in advocating for educational reform and investments (e.g. in profiles, educational infrastructure, technologies, platforms, resources, employer-led innovation in the design and delivery of education and training), including partnering with governments to help ensure that the design and delivery of education and training keep pace with the changing needs of the labour market.

X Conduct Business Impact Assessments on Children’s Rights in the areas of the workplace, the marketplace, the community and the environment, and integrate children’s rights into the related corporate policies, codes of conduct and non-financial or sustainability reports.

X As a result of the COVID-19 experience, develop crisis procedures that protect and respect children and families in the context of emergencies20.

X Due to the digitalization priorities, the need to curb the digital divide (economic and territorial) should be on the agenda of companies engaged in digitalization. Furthermore, the ICT sector is an untapped resource able to provide innovative solutions (big data, artificial intelligence, automation, blockchains, mobile applications) and critical digital infrastructure in the areas of health, education and social protection.

20 See: www.unicef.org/csr/207.htm.


BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS

X Raise awareness about children’s rights in business – Research on the application of Child Rights and Business Principles in the business sector, in cooperation between UNICEF and the Chamber of Economy of Montenegro. Promotion of best-practice examples in each of the 10 principles.

– Organization of training for the members and functional committees of business associations on children’s rights in the business sector (linked to programme-related issues), as well as on sector-specific children’s rights.

– In order to increase the business community’s interest in CRBP, it would be beneficial to include it in some of the prominent national business awards linked to corporate responsibility.

X Foster a family-friendly working environment and policies in the business sector – Research family-friendly workplace practices and policies (in cooperation between UNICEF, Montenegrin Foreign Investors Council and the Association of Employers) and cross-reference the findings with a survey on the impact of parents’ workplaces on children. Through research, collect examples of good practice and promote them together with the results as a source of inspiration and idea creation in others, especially SMEs. Establish an award for the best and most innovative business practices.

UNICEF MONTENEGRO

X Develop a long-term advocacy plan for the government to commit itself to recognizing the role and responsibilities of the business sector in investing in children’s rights. Particular emphasis should be placed on advocating for regulations in the form of new laws and amendments to the existing ones.

X UNICEF Montenegro should reposition itself in public as a relevant and authoritative partner of the business community and actively participate in all relevant business and corporate responsibility events, conferences, forums and round tables.

X Businesses are a critical part of programme-related planning and outcomes; therefore, it is necessary to integrate the BIA’s findings into the core programmatic areas using businesses’ voices, influence, reach, expertise and core assets, to jointly develop and leverage professional and technological solutions to programme-related challenges, to address the impact of companies on children and to deal with business practices that undermine children’s rights.

X Establish the Montenegrin Business Council for Children’s Rights, with a clear mandate and achievable goals (KPIs) that represent a symbiosis between the objectives of the business sector, the country’s priority SDGs and UNICEF’s programme-related areas. The members of the Business Council should be publicly recognized leaders from major companies and champions of corporate responsibility. Their task would be to act as advocates for children in the business community and among stakeholders, through personal and company profiles on social networks and public appearances, pointing out that children’s rights are strategically vital to the country’s sustainability.

X Research systemic, large/medium companies on the awareness and application of CRBP in Montenegro’s business practices, policies and procedures. Together with the research, collect good-practice examples from all four impact areas and promote them in partnership with the media and through UNICEF Montenegro’s own media channels. The research will be a springboard for introducing children’s rights into business policies, as


it will indicate to companies that they already have specific initiatives and procedures in place, allowing them to compare themselves with their sector peers.

X Conduct research about family-friendly workplace practices and policies in Montenegro’s business sector. Collect examples of best practice in the four impact areas and during the COVID-19 outbreak, aimed at inspiring other companies, and especially from the SME area. Cross-reference the findings with the U-Report survey about the impact of parents’ workplaces on children.

X Disseminate UNICEF sector-level publications, guidelines and methodologies about child rights to foster their integration into corporate policies, codes of conduct and non-financial or sustainability reports.

The Business Impact Analysis (BIA) on Children, Adolescents and Young People, which was carried out in the months June–September 2020, is the first such research in Montenegro.

The research included:

Î A desk review of the economy21 and the business environment that impact children and families;

Î A survey with adolescents and young people about Montenegro’s business sector via the UNICEF U-Report Western Balkans platform;

Î In-depth interviews with leading companies from the mapped sectors to understand business policies/strategies that impact child rights, and drive sectoral corporate responsibility and philanthropic activities;

Î A desk review of major business associations to assess their advocacy capacities;

Î A stakeholder map and matrix from the perspective towards issues affecting children’s rights;

Î Application of the UNICEF methodology, tools and guidelines to recognize areas of impact and risk to children and families and identify opportunities for shared-value partnerships between businesses and organizations that support children.

21 Data validation: the Montenegrin Chamber of Economy.

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