The diffusion of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) more than the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) in Africa: The influence of coercion and emulation

Abstract

In 1989, the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), a seminal instrument in protecting the rights of children. Uniquely, this convention was the only one to receive near universal ratification, with African countries comprising half of the first 20 to sign the convention. Ghana was first among these countries to ratify the convention. This set off a bandwagon effect of other African countries quickly ratifying the convention. However, a year later, African governments reacted to their low involvement in the drafting process of the UNCRC and also to what they thought to be an inadequate representation of the real experience of the African child in the UNCRC. Consequently, this group adopted their own version of the convention – the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC). However, unlike the experience with the UNCRC, African nations were not quick to ratify their own Charter; the ACRWC is hardly discussed in public and policy forums in Africa, and its use among those charged with the protection of children is minimal. Using the lenses of policy diffusion, I assess the influence of coercion and emulation mechanisms on privileging the UNCRC which is used as the main organizing framework for child rights in most African countries. Additionally, I look at how Ghana’s political reputation influenced other African adopters, an effect which was not replicated with the ratification of the ACRWC. Implications for social work research, policy and practice are discussed.