Sustainability | ~ 4 min read

Fostering a grown-up approach to children’s rights

The widespread use of social media and smart phones is one example of an emerging area of risk affecting children’s rights and wellbeing. The prevalence of these risks is highlighting the need to embed the full scope of children’s rights into business and economic decision-making.

Recognition of the need to protect children’s rights – and to consider any infringement to them as a material risk – is becoming urgent. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is the leading guidance on considering childrens’ rights within human rights. However, aside from prompting industry-specific standards addressing child labour, there are no universal conventions covering emerging issues such as technology, nutrition, vaping or even climate transition.

Taking place this month, the annual Global Child Forum focuses on the importance of protecting the rights of children as a sustainability issue. As active long-term investors, we view these challenges as material and have developed three categories for considering them:

  • Experiences – the right to life experiences (such as education) that contribute to development.
  • Protection – safety in achieving these experiences.
  • Agency – influence over their own experiences and protection.
Exhibit 1: Developing a children’s rights framework

Sources: See footnotes for full attribution1
View the full articles on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child here.

New risks compound existing challenges

Although the UN has targeted the elimination of child labour by 2025,2 progress has stalled and risks reversing. The number of children aged 5-17 years in labour globally increased from 151.6 million in 2016 to 160 million in 2020,3 and close to half work in hazardous conditions. Two key challenges stand out:

  • While the scale of child labour is most prevalent in Africa4, the risk of child labour is rising fastest in North America.5 Recognising this challenge beyond emerging markets is critical, especially given the nascent and growing issues mentioned above.
  • Agriculture accounts for 70% of global child labour – a figure that rises to more than 80% in Sub-Saharan Africa.6 While global changes in this sector will be slow, corporate-level advances can help inform standards for other industries and government policy development. Examples of standards include the living income reference price – which means decent pay for farmers and their employees – and child labour monitoring and remediation systems.
Prioritising future generations

Maximising opportunities and mitigating risks for children are core to global economic development and growth. Exhibit 2 shows our structured approach to research, engagement and investment with respect to children’s rights.

Exhibit 2: How to consider children’s rights in investments
Exhibit 2: How to consider children’s rights in investments

Source: AllianzGI Sustainability Research, 2024

Incorporating these issues into our investment decisions reflects our commitment to advancing social sustainability and inclusive capitalism7 – and recognises the absolute importance of protecting children and giving them every opportunity to thrive.

For more reading on topics raised in this blog post, please visit
Human rights – the weakest link in supply chains, November 2023
Healthcare - how to live better, July 2024
Rewiring technology for sustainable growth, October 2024

1 Sources: Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948); International Labour Organisation (1973, 1999); United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989); UN Global Compact, UNICEF and Save the Children (2010); UNICEF (2022), and Allianz Global Investors, 2024
2 UN Sustainable Development Goals: Goal 8, 2015
3 International Labour Organization and United Nations Children’s Fund Global Estimates 2020, Trend and the Road Forward – Executive Summary,2021
4 European Union External Action Service, Acting together to end child labour in agriculture | EEAS (europa.eu), 2021 International Labour Organization, Knowledge sharing forum: Innovative solutions to reduce child labour and forced labour in Africa, 2024
5 Verisk Maplecroft, Child labour, migrant worker risks rising fastest in US - Child Labour Index July 2024
6 International Labour Organization and United Nations Children’s Fund Global Estimates 2020, Trend and the Road Forward – Executive Summary,2021
7 Unlocking the “S” in capitalism (allianzgi.com)

  • Disclaimer
    Investing involves risk. The value of an investment and the income from it will fluctuate and investors may not get back the principal invested. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. This is a marketing communication. It is for informational purposes only. This document does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any security and shall not be deemed an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security.

    The views and opinions expressed herein, which are subject to change without notice, are those of the issuer or its affiliated companies at the time of publication. Certain data used are derived from various sources believed to be reliable, but the accuracy or completeness of the data is not guaranteed and no liability is assumed for any direct or consequential losses arising from their use. The duplication, publication, extraction or transmission of the contents, irrespective of the form, is not permitted.

    This material has not been reviewed by any regulatory authorities. In mainland China, it is for Qualified Domestic Institutional Investors scheme pursuant to applicable rules and regulations and is for information purpose only. This document does not constitute a public offer by virtue of Act Number 26.831 of the Argentine Republic and General Resolution No. 622/2013 of the NSC. This communication's sole purpose is to inform and does not under any circumstance constitute promotion or publicity of Allianz Global Investors products and/or services in Colombia or to Colombian residents pursuant to part 4 of Decree 2555 of 2010. This communication does not in any way aim to directly or indirectly initiate the purchase of a product or the provision of a service offered by Allianz Global Investors. Via reception of this document, each resident in Colombia acknowledges and accepts to have contacted Allianz Global Investors via their own initiative and that the communication under no circumstances does not arise from any promotional or marketing activities carried out by Allianz Global Investors. Colombian residents accept that accessing any type of social network page of Allianz Global Investors is done under their own responsibility and initiative and are aware that they may access specific information on the products and services of Allianz Global Investors. This communication is strictly private and confidential and may not be reproduced, except for the case of explicit permission by Allianz Global Investors. This communication does not constitute a public offer of securities in Colombia pursuant to the public offer regulation set forth in Decree 2555 of 2010. This communication and the information provided herein should not be considered a solicitation or an offer by Allianz Global Investors or its affiliates to provide any financial products in Brazil, Panama, Peru, and Uruguay. In Australia, this material is presented by Allianz Global Investors Asia Pacific Limited (“AllianzGI AP”) and is intended for the use of investment consultants and other institutional /professional investors only, and is not directed to the public or individual retail investors. AllianzGI AP is not licensed to provide financial services to retail clients in Australia. AllianzGI AP is exempt from the requirement to hold an Australian Foreign Financial Service License under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) pursuant to ASIC Class Order (CO 03/1103) with respect to the provision of financial services to wholesale clients only. AllianzGI AP is licensed and regulated by Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission under Hong Kong laws, which differ from Australian laws.

    This document is being distributed by the following Allianz Global Investors companies: Allianz Global Investors GmbH, an investment company in Germany, authorized by the German Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin); Allianz Global Investors (Schweiz) AG; Allianz Global Investors UK Limited, authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority; in HK, by Allianz Global Investors Asia Pacific Ltd., licensed by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission; in Singapore, by Allianz Global Investors Singapore Ltd., regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore [Company Registration No. 199907169Z]; in Japan, by Allianz Global Investors Japan Co., Ltd., registered in Japan as a Financial Instruments Business Operator [Registered No. The Director of Kanto Local Finance Bureau (Financial Instruments Business Operator), No. 424], Member of Japan Investment Advisers Association, the Investment Trust Association, Japan and Type II Financial Instruments Firms Association; in Taiwan, by Allianz Global Investors Taiwan Ltd., licensed by Financial Supervisory Commission in Taiwan; and in Indonesia, by PT. Allianz Global Investors Asset Management Indonesia licensed by Indonesia Financial Services Authority (OJK).

    AdMaster 3945090

Recent insights

Sustainability | ~ 4 min read

Emerging concerns - including health and technology use - are highlighting the need to better protect children by considering their rights as material issues.

Discover more

Stewardship | ~ 4 min read

As active investors our stewardship of clients’ assets is an important responsibility. With proxy voting core to this, we follow up on our blog post on environmental and social trends in this year’s AGM season by looking at the corporate governance issues that once again raised concerns.

Discover more

Stewardship | ~ 4 min read

Incorporating environmental and social considerations into proxy voting is essential. However, changing perspectives emerged in the 2024 voting season.

Discover more

Allianz Global Investors

You are leaving this website and being re-directed to the below website. This does not imply any approval or endorsement of the information by Allianz Global Investors Asia Pacific Limited contained in the redirected website nor does Allianz Global Investors Asia Pacific Limited accept any responsibility or liability in connection with this hyperlink and the information contained herein. Please keep in mind that the redirected website may contain funds and strategies not authorized for offering to the public in your jurisdiction. Besides, please also take note on the redirected website’s terms and conditions, privacy and security policies, or other legal information. By clicking “Continue”, you confirm you acknowledge the details mentioned above and would like to continue accessing the redirected website. Please click “Stay here” if you have any concerns.