Publisher's Synopsis
The fact that the Convention on the Rights of The Child is the most widely ratified international treaty on human rights suggest not only a large degree of international normative consensus on the content of children's rights but also a high level of resolve and commitment among states to ensure that each child receives appropriate nurturing and protection within the framework of the minimum standards set by the Convention. Yet notwithstanding such normative consensus and resolve, it remains true that the international community being so diverse socially, economically and culturally cannot understand and implement childrenÆs rights in the same way. Given such diversity we have to anticipate regional and national differences in the nature and magnitude of the problems encountered in the implementation process. This makes it imperative to conduct empirical country studies on the understanding and implementation of the Convention with a view to unmasking and analysing the regional and country specific problems in the implementation of the standards of the Convention. - - The essays in this volume examine different Articles in the Convention and analyse, through empirical evidence, how they are understood and implemented in Eastern and Southern Africa. They identify and evaluate comparable factors which tend to influence the way and manner in which the Convention is interpreted and applied within the region. Chief among these are the issues of legal, cultural, social and economic pluralism which characterise the region.
