Description
Peace agreements can serve as roadmaps for both peacebuilding efforts and the reconstruction of the post-conflict state more generally. For this reason, the inclusion of provisions addressing children in peace agreements is seen as central to the wider objective of advancing children’s rights after conflict. This necessity is reflected in international human rights law, stands as an important aspect of the UN Agenda on Children and Armed Conflict, and forms the central purpose of guidelines recently developed for mediators. While much of the existing literature identifies the relative lack of child-specific provisions in peace agreements, little attention is directed towards understanding whether and how provisions that are included are subsequently implemented. Drawing on a recently developed dataset that both codes peace agreement provisions on children and their subsequent implementation, this paper seeks to fill this gap. In identifying levels, patterns and modes of implementation of provisions addressing children, this paper contributes to discussions on children and peace agreements by demonstrating some of the opportunities and challenges that arise, and strategies available when peace agreement provisions addressing children are included.
