Global telecommunications and media firm Millicom has announced a three-year partnership with UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) to create standards for the telecommunications sector aimed at improving the protection of children online and to promote respect for the online rights of young people.

Under the alliance, the parties will map the risks and opportunities pertaining to children in the telecommunications arena; and develop and promote industry guidance on how to best respect children’s rights online.

The partnership will see Millicom and UNICEF pilot implement the Children’s Rights and Business Principles, and the UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Guidelines for Industry on Child Online Protection.

“Companies have many strategic and direct ways to influence children’s lives positively, beyond charity work or fighting child labour,” said executive vice president of strategic operations and partnerships at Millicom, Rachel Samrén.

“At Millicom, we always ‘demand more’ and so we are proud to be at the forefront of putting into action the great work with UNICEF that takes a wider perspective on business responsibility and children.”

Millicom has been in discussions with UNICEF since 2012, when Millicom provided feedback on UNICEF’s Children’s Rights and Business Principles tools for implementation. Millicom then piloted UNICEF’s Children’s Rights Checklist throughout its operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

This has resulted in today’s formalised agreement, which sees Millicom and UNICEF outline the direction of their future work and ensure that their common objectives are met.

"UNICEF is committed to working with business to identify the shared value that can be created when improving child rights within each industry,” said Gérard Bocquenet, director of private fundraising and partnerships at UNICEF.  

“We are proud to join Millicom in identifying how children can be better protected online in this growing virtual world. It is truly an important issue that is increasingly relevant to children everywhere."

According to the partners, the number and scope of online risks to children and young people is constantly increasing, with such risks ranging from targeted marketing which makes use of their personal information, to online bullying and harassment, identity theft and other forms of online abuse.

Millicom and UNICEF hope not only to ensure that children are protected online, but that their rights to privacy, freedom of thought, opinion, culture and safety are respected across the telecoms sector.