PI: Minju Kwon, Assistant Professor, Chapman University
Grant Amount: $2,500
Project Abstract: Internal armed conflicts have involved various violations of child rights committed by non-state armed groups, including the recruitment, abduction, and sexual exploitation of children. Why do some rebel groups comply with international laws that prohibit child rights violations, whereas other rebel groups continue to violate child rights? My research project explores the conditions under which rebel groups commit to international humanitarian law, focusing on United Nations (UN) action plans for ending and preventing child rights violations. As part of the project, I examine why the Moro Islamic Liberation Front complied with its UN action plan, whereas other non-state armed groups in Mindanao of the Philippines continue their violence against children. As the first systematic mixed-method research on UN action plans, this project contributes to the literature on international institutions and conflict studies by analyzing when and why the UN’s “naming and shaming” increases non-state armed groups’ compliance with international humanitarian law. With the help of the Spring Centennial Center Research Grants, I plan to collect qualitative data from on-site interviews with stakeholders in Mindanao.