UNICEF and Finnfund collaborate on Child-lens investing

Promotion of the Child-lens Investing Framework aims to direct more global capital towards the well-being of children.

Finnfund, the Finnish development financier and impact investor, and UNICEF, strengthen their collaboration on the adoption of UNICEF’s Child-lens Investing Framework (CLIF) with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding.

Child-lens investing is a novel approach that encourages investors to intentionally integrate child-related considerations, advancing positive outcomes for children while minimizing harm. Today’s investments often fall short in considering the risk of funding business activities that directly or indirectly harm children or not maximize the full benefits they could deliver for children’s wellbeing.

Finnfund contributed to the development of the CLIF, providing expertise and insights stemming from the investor’s long experience in sustainable finance. To further strengthen their collaboration, UNICEF Innovative Finance Hub and Finnfund signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore possibilities for pathways to implement the CLIF and foster positive outcomes for children, particularly in the areas of digitalisation and education.

“Finnfund has been among the forerunners on responsible investing. We are looking for opportunities to integrate the child lens into our already robust and comprehensive impact investing approach, namely as part of our new Finnfund Digital Access Impact Fund, allowing us to even better address the needs of children, one of the most vulnerable stakeholder groups, and enhance the positive impact of our investments and operations on their development and well-being”, says Kaisa Alavuotunki, Director of Impact and Sustainability, Finnfund.

The CLIF builds on the recognition that every investment decision has direct or indirect impacts on children. That is, however, often overlooked since children are not economic agents. The CLIF aims to change this by inviting investors to incorporate children’s perspective in all stages of the investment cycle.

“This partnership with Finnfund is an important milestone in operationalizing child-lens investing. We hope it inspires other investors to follow suit – the need to include a child-lens into investing is urgent in a world where one billion children still lack access to education, health, housing, nutrition, sanitation, and safe access to water”, says Cristina Bertolino, Head of UNICEF Innovative Finance Hub.

At a time when the world is at risk of falling short on the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and facing the threat of irreversible climate change, the investment community has a pivotal opportunity to make a difference. By adopting child-lens investing, investors can drive meaningful, lasting change—a goal UNICEF and Finnfund are dedicated to championing through this collaboration.

With support from the Government of Finland, the CLIF was created and developed by UNICEF Innovative Finance Hub in Helsinki in collaboration with UNICEF USA’s Impact Fund for Children.

The Child-lens framework and accompanying tools are available here.

To find out more about the collaboration contact:

Kaisa Alavuotunki, Director of Impact and Sustainability, Finnfund, kaisa.alavuotunki@finnfund.fi, tel. +358 41 522 3693

Kirsi Pere, Communications Manager, Finnfund, kirsi.pere@finnfund.fi, tel. +358 40 620 9767

Milma Kettunen, Communication Specialist, UNICEF Innovative Finance Hub, mkettunen@unicef.org, tel. +358 50 3064278

Picture: Imam Hossain is seen in Horipur Ardhendu Primary School on 21 November 2022. He studies in class 5 and loves to participate in extracurriculur activities. When he grows up, he wants to work for people in need. Photo: UNICEF