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Good Intentions, Little Effect: International Norms and the Use of Child Soldiers

Mbungu, Grace Kageni

Abstract Details

2009, Master of Public Administration (MPA), Bowling Green State University, Public Administration.

The continued use of child soldiers is testimony that the presence of international norms alone is ineffective in protecting children because conditions within sovereign states to enlist often supersede international norms. In a period of fewer than fifteen years, two international treaties specifically designed to protect children were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly: the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) and its Optional Protocol on theinvolvement of children in armed conflict (2002). Despite these actions, the recruitment and use of child soldiers in wars and conflicts continues to take place globally in many countries and territories. This work examines the challenges to the development, implementation, and enforcement of the Optional Protocol to the CRC on the involvement of children in armed conflict.

The Optional Protocol drafting process reflects states' self interests, which causes its outcomes to fall short of protecting all children against recruitment and use in hostilities. In this thesis, extensive research based on a multi-method study of statistical analysis and case studies reveals that it is not only the insufficiency in the Optional Protocol's provisions that perpetuate the use of child soldiers but also underlying conditions within sovereign states negatively affect the enforcement and implementation of international norms.

Neil Englehart, Phd (Advisor)
Marc Simon, Phd (Committee Member)
Candace Archer, Phd (Committee Member)
91 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Mbungu, G. K. (2009). Good Intentions, Little Effect: International Norms and the Use of Child Soldiers [Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1256696958

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Mbungu, Grace. Good Intentions, Little Effect: International Norms and the Use of Child Soldiers. 2009. Bowling Green State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1256696958.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Mbungu, Grace. "Good Intentions, Little Effect: International Norms and the Use of Child Soldiers." Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1256696958

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)