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September 2011 Analysis of a questionnaire taken by Malian businesses; Analysis of a questionnaire taken by private sector stakeholders in Mali; Personalized interviews with businesses and businesses stakeholders in Mali; Personalized interviews and phone interviews to the managers of UNICEFs strategic partnerships; Intersectoral workshops to submit and discuss the collected information with leading Malian interest groups. As the study focused on the most visible and representative firms of the major sectors of the Malian economy, a majority of the responses to the survey came from large and medium businesses (80%) . Just above a third of these were part of international corporations. Small businesses developing their activities in the informal sector were not addressed directly for obvious practical reasons; instead, they were approached through umbrella organizations, and especially through Chambers of Commerce (Chambers of Agriculture, of Trade, of Commerce and Industry) and federations (Mali National Federation of Artisans). In terms of capital and area of activity, almost 65% of businesses in the study are private capital businesses, and 24% mixed capital. The majority develop their activities at a national level (53%), over 26% at a regional or international level, and 20% at a local level. We can confirm that the study is indeed representative of the economy, as it deals with the countrys main economic sectors in terms of contribution to GDP (agriculture, mining, telecommunications), as is illustrated below (see Figure 2).
Banking and Insurance Allianz Sabu N'yuman BICIM, BNDA Caece Jigiseme, PMU
Construction and Public Works Somafrec Manutention Africaine Mali Office du Niger
Crafts and Tourism Groupe AZALAI Bakatra Cooprative Jama Jigui, Cooprative des Pcheurs de Mopti
LImpact du Secteur Priv sur Les Droits de LEnfant au Mali However, we can see that this growth is not enough to lead to true development. Almost half of the population, and up to 73% in rural areas, live below the poverty line of under a dollar a day. Thus, Mali continues to be one of the poorest countries in the world, as is illustrated by its 160th position out of a total of 169 countries in the UNDP Human Development Index (HDI). Children are generally the first victims of poverty; their situation in Mali remains critical. Indeed, eight out of ten children suffer from deprivation, nine out of ten of these are living in rural areas. Lack of housing and education are the most common problems. Notwithstanding considerable improvements, the Millennium Development Goals will probably not be achieved by 2015 in terms of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger (MDG 1), promoting gender equality (MDG 3), reducing infant mortality (MDG 4), improving maternal health (MDG 5), or in terms of combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases (MDG 6). Significant progress has been made in terms of primary education, with a gross enrolment rate of above 80% in 2009, but there continue to be great disparities in access to education depending on gender, region, or parents revenues. In addition, Malian children are still widely victims of traditional practices which harm their proper physical, mental and emotional development such as female genital mutilation/cutting, early marriage and child labour or forced begging. All of these factors affect their ability to reach their full potential as adults, thus representing lost important opportunity for the country. Malis economic growth and future well-being depends on its capacity to invest in this segment of the population today.
September 2011 With this in mind, intersectoral partnerships can help overcome the challenges of development, which are by nature too great and complex to be tackled by a single organization or sector. Partnerships can also maximize the impact of development and the fight against child poverty by sharing human and financial resources, as well as the knowledge and expertise of each stakeholder, in a strategic manner. Sharing risk and resources as a form of teamwork can help businesses and public institutions to achieve their own objectives whilst working towards a common goal. In the last decade, the private sector in Mali has contributed to the development of the health system by expanding health coverage; however, the latter still hasnt achieved the level it should have within the national health system. Within this context, and guided by the Strategic Framework for Partnerships and Collaborative Relationships, UNICEF has launched a process seeking to expand its traditional relationship with the private sector beyond financing and philanthropic activities towards a new type of partnership (see Figure 4).
UNICEF has been working for a long time in close collaboration with multinational corporations, national companies and medium and small businesses in order to propose, conceive and implement partnerships that use the assets of the private sector to better serve the interest of children worldwide. Traditionally, the initiatives stemming from partnerships with the private sector primarily have involved strategic corporate patronage, humanitarian marketing, employee donation programs, special events, charity greeting cards, and support in humanitarian emergencies. However, lately UNICEF has redefined its relationship with businesses by recognizing the private sector as a key actor able to contribute to childrens well-being in a more strategic manner. Indeed, UNICEF understands that the potential of businesses contribution to children goes way beyond traditional philanthropic activities. By incorporating the discourse of childrens rights at the heart of firms corporate social responsibility policies, the latter commit to respecting and promoting childrens well-being in the everyday management of their activities.
September 2011
statement
Codes of ethics Triple bottom line
strategies
Giving children and local communities a
The values and principles dimension involves elaborating a vision and mission statement, as well as codes of conduct and ethics that allow the company to integrate the values of social responsibility and the protection of children in a transversal manner. Through its internal and external operations, the company can develop activities that have an impact on its triple bottom line, that is, its economic, social and environmental result. This dimension involves promoting internal human resources and developing a constructive relationship with suppliers. By developing innovative products and services, the company can meet the needs of children and society through their supply, whilst creating new markets that will in turn generate profit. The communication and dissemination capability of a company can also have a very important impact on social awareness. It can play an educational and formative role with great added value for the region in which it operates whilst at the same time contributing to consolidate the companys reputation. Finally, the company is an integral part of the local community in which it has settled. This involves rights as well as obligations. If the company manages to develop a real partnership with the community, supported by other partners such as local collectives, NGOs or international organizations, it can have a profound impact on this community, which in turn will contribute to maximize the potential of the company.
Extent of integration
Vision and mission Code of ethics Strategy and policy Evaluation systems Social Reports
We describe below the most important conclusions derived from the study.
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Knowledge of the CSR concept 66% of firms have never heard of the term. The bigger the company, the more likely it is to be familiar with the term. Multinationals are the ones that know the term best. Level of integration of CSR in the companys policy 63% of businesses interviewed claim to have developed a vision and mission statement. However, very few firms actually incorporate CSR principles in their vision and mission statements. Half of the businesses interviewed claim to have a declaration of values and/or a code of ethics. 38% of businesses interviewed are developing a CSR policy. 13% of businesses interviewed evaluate their social impact. 25% of businesses interviewed claim to publish or to have published a social report. Malian firms perception of problems affecting children and priorities for action Health, education, and protecting children against exploitation and mistreatment are perceived as the most important issues faced by children in Mali. While two out of three children in Mali work, only 25% of firms perceive this as a very important problem. Over 50% of businesses interviewed claim to finance activities related to children. Amongst the businesses that do not currently contribute, there are just as many that claim to want to contribute in the future, as that claim not to be interested at all. Whilst the fight against HIV/AIDS is by far the area in which firms have been more active, education appears as the area in which they would like to contribute more.
3- IMF, World Economic Outlook, 2010
September 2011 There is definitely the will on the part of firms to contribute more to fighting problems affecting children, but they need further counselling in order to achieve it. It therefore appears that businesses are beginning to understand that investing in children is pivotal to the economic development of the country in the long run. Businesses modes of intervention in favour of children in Mali following the five dimensions model Values and principles While 38% of firms claim to take into consideration aspects affecting children in the definition of their values and principles, in practice the fight against child labour remains the only issue included in the codes of conduct. Whereas a large number of businesses claimed that the promotion and protection of childrens rights are amongst their values and principles, in practice the definition of these ethical values does not appear in any charter. Operations If we analyse the operations dimension, we notice that CSR activities are more frequent at an internal level than in the supply chain. Indeed, whereas numerous initiatives geared towards improving the social environment of employees families have been put in place, the study could not identify any specifications for suppliers addressing issues related to children. In terms of health, the most common measure is extending medical coverage to family members. In terms of education, covering the partial or full cost of school fees and setting up a loans program are the most frequent initiatives. Products and services The supply of products and services that meet the needs of children is essential to guarantee the well-being and development of children and youth in Mali. Whether through the creation of intersectoral partnerships, or by developing new ranges of products and services, businesses play an essential role in this challenge. Businesses can create new markets by offering innovative products and services, while at the same time becoming more competitive vis--vis companies that develop traditional products. The private sector has access to human, technical and financial resources to invest in the research and development of solutions favouring children. Awareness-raising and communication There are a few Malian businesses developing communication activities related to the protection of childrens rights. Businesses have great potential in terms of communication and awareness-raising on childrens issues, both at an internal and external level; they have the necessary resources and wish to get more involved, but do not consider these issues as priorities for the company and often do not have the necessary knowledge to engage in awareness-raising campaigns. Commitment to the community 42% of businesses claimed to be developing initiatives in favour of the community. The commitment to the community (which by and large translates into philanthropic activities) is generally the firms favourite CSR mode of intervention. Businesses tend to provide in-kind contributions or to make infrastructure and logistical services available to the community, but they rarely get involved in the development of health and educational programs directed to children. Activities do not follow a properly-defined corporate social responsibility strategy. With a few exceptions, businesses do not count on an annual budget intended for social activities, and CSR departments or foundations in charge of managing the companys activities in favour of the community are practically non-existent.
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9. Strategic recommendations
The recommendations stemming from this study have been broken down into three main groups. In terms of the private sector, we suggest putting in place a series of measures that would allow for the integration of CSR in favour of children within the strategies of Malian businesses (R1). These include a methodology tailored to the size of the business (large firms, SMEs, and informal sector businesses) to integrate CSR in the company, setting up a training program, and developing awareness-raising activities on CSR and children. We also recommend creating a coalition to promote childrens development within the private sector (R2) as a way to mobilize the financial, technical and human resources of the sector in favour of the great cause of protecting childrens rights. Next, we approach public institutions and TFPs (Technical and Financial Partners) as entities able to contribute to the creation of a favourable environment for good practices in CSR and initiatives favouring children (R3). That is why we suggest: creating funding for companies that wish to adopt CSR strategies; putting in place a strategy for training in CSR directed to businesses; creating a favourable legal framework, be it juridical or fiscal; and finally, promoting institutional coherence, at the level of the Malian government, as well as at the level of TFPs or of the United Nations System (reform: Delivering as One). The third group of recommendations is oriented towards the creation of a framework auspicious to the development of strategic partnerships seeking to find solutions to the issues faced by children in Mali. Setting up a platform for intersectoral dialogue on childhood (R4) would allow the elaboration of a national strategy for children, the organization of periodic workshops between the different actors, and the launching of a process around innovation in products and services for children. Finally, it is recommended that pilot projects be put in place to seek to improve childrens conditions in mining and agriculture (R5).
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