Responsible Business in Development: Our call to the next UK government

This is Save the Children UK’s call to the next UK government on responsible development in business.

The private sector, comprising a huge variety of domestic and multinational businesses, is critical to the delivery of the next human development framework and to the success of the post-2015 sustainable development goals.  

The potential impact of private sector investment in developing countries is increasing dramatically, and dwarfs in volume all other forms of economic engagement with developing countries. However, this cannot be at the expense of efforts to ensure businesses do not harm the survival and progress of children the world over.  

It is right that the UK Department for International Development, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and UK Trade and Investment should support businesses overseas.   

However, we need to make sure we get best value for money by insisting on the ethical standards for which the UK is famous. We must ensure that the operations of those companies receiving funding to improve access to services and to create jobs overseas are not harmful to children and the communities in which they live.