AREAS OF EXPERTISE
CHILD RIGHTS
While all people have the same rights as human beings, some groups continue to face discrimination and receive unequal treatment. In practice, their rights are not protected. Children are the most vulnerable in our society. Through their operations and supply chains, extractive industries can impact the rights of the child including, but not limited to, the right to health and safety, food security, and education. Avanzar has partnered with UNICEF to identify these impacts based on a child vulnerability matrix.
Children are especially vulnerable to poverty and inadequate health care, education, drinking water, housing, and community services. Avanzar proactively integrates child rights considerations in all of our client projects along with our gender inclusion work.
SAMPLE PROJECTS INCLUDE:
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Pilot project with UNICEF to create a human rights assessment protocol to assess compliance with Business and Human Rights Principles. The protocol was tested at a mine site in South America and incorporated final results into the HRRA protocol.
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Participation in the Child Rights and Security Working Group led by UNICEF and Barrick to develop the Child Rights and Security Checklist. See more details here.
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Assess mine sites on their level of implementation with the Child Rights and Security Checklist.
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During Human Rights Risk assessments, we ensure that a majority of interviewees are women (employees, community members, or contractor employees) and ask about impacts on children. When necessary, we interview child advocacy organizations to further understand the context lived by the children.
TRAINING
Avanzar has recently developed a suite of training modules for security guards and security managers. Within this training, we focus on what safeguards companies need to put in place so security respect the rights of the child as per the United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty and the UNICEF Child Rights and Security Checklist. These safeguards include the special care that needs to be taken when a child is detained or arrested.