Umicore and UNICEF: a global partnership for children’s Rights

On December 10, the world celebrated Human Rights Day, a day to honor the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations in 1948. As a global company with global operations,  we are committed to the values and principles on sustainable development, upholding fundamental human rights.  At the same time, we seek to maximize our positive impact by giving back to the planet and to the communities where we operate. We want to be a responsible corporation and good corporate neighbor.

That is why we have been partnering with UNICEF for over a decade, supporting their efforts to protect the rights of children and adolescents who are in most need, with a direct sustainable and educational impact. 

Focus on education

Our financial support has contributed to the success of several projects in the past. Our partnership began with a project that improved the quality of education in Haiti. More than 2,000 children received new classrooms, school materials, hygiene kits and trained teachers. In Madagascar, we also enhanced the learning environment for about 800 children and raised awareness and practices on hygiene. 

These projects focused mainly on education, but we also tackled gender inequalities in India. We empowered adolescent girls by giving them life and education skills training, menstrual hygiene management and access to safe water and sanitation facilities. 

Empowering young people

Today Umicore is proud to support UPSHIFT, a global social innovation program that enables adolescents to create positive change in their communities. UPSHIFT has empowered over 10,000 young people in India to address challenges such as waste management, gender equality and mental health. Thanks to our contribution, UNICEF has successfully integrated UPSHIFT into the formal education system of India. 

Another ongoing project that we support is STEM for Girls, which aims to increase the involvement and retention of girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. In Indonesia, STEM for Girls has helped over 6,000 girls to develop their skills and confidence in STEM subjects, and to explore career opportunities in these fields.

Starting from 2024, we will support a initiative of UNICEF seeking to improve the water and sanitation situation in schools for the native communities that are affected by the pollution of the Tapajós river in Brazil.

Umicore gives back to people and planet. Business and human rights are compatible, and we are engaged to making a positive difference because we care.