International Organizations And Promotion Of Children's Rights In South Sudan

ABSTRACT

This study investigated about international organizations and promotions of children's rights in Afiica with a case study of UNICEF in South Sudan. The study was guided by the following objectives: i) to assess children's rights abuses in South Sudan, ii) to analyze the role of UNICEF in promoting and protecting children's rights in South Sudan, iii) to identify the challenges faced by UNICEF in promoting and protecting children's rights in South Sudan, and iv) to assess South Sudan border relations with neighboring countiies and refugee influx. The study adopted both case study and cross-sectional design using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The sample size included 127 respondents detern1ined from a sample population of 200 participants using Krejcie and Morgan (1970) table. However, only 84 participated in the study, giving a response rate of 66%. The results indicated that children's rights were highly abused in the on-going South Sudan conflicts, among which included sexual violence, lack of education, recruitment by both anned and rebel forces, abduction, maiming and killing. However UNICEF was also found to play instrumental roles in the areas of promoting education, child protection and gender equality in the education. Given these effo1is by UNICEF, a number of challenges such as insecmity, lack of funding, inaccessible areas due to poor road infrastructure, and under staffing have been hindering factors to the perforn1ance of UNICEF in South Sudan. Fmihern1ore, the study found that border relations of South Sudan with Ethiopia and Uganda were good and therefore South Sudan had no problem with its neighbors since they were the largest receivers of refugees from South Sudan. The study therefore recommended that: There is need for the international donors to support South Sudanese authorities to ensure that children are quickly released from forces, reintegrated into civilian life, and provided with education services and where necessary, psychosocial suppo1i in accordance with the international Paris Principles, guidelines for the release of child soldiers; The need to provide funding to ensure that mental health and psychosocial support, considerations are addressed and mainstreamed in the planning, implementation and monitoring of all humanitarian response activities; and The need for the warring parties to ensure unimpeded access by the humanitarian organisations to children affected by the conflict.