<p>A qualitative study is presented concerning children’s participation in the local decisionmaking in Swedish municipalities. The study also aims at finding out what are considered to be successful factors and obstacles connected to the implementation of children’s participation in local decision-making. The study contains a summary of the convention on the rights of the child, focusing on article 12, as well as previous research findings concerning children’s participation and factors enabling respectively hindering participation. Method has been interviews with a purposive sample of politicians, civil employees and children from municipalities regarded as prominent in their work with children’s participation. Either through a formal or informal implementation model. The results have been analysed in the light of Roger Hart’s eight-step “ladder of children’s participation“, where position one is considered Manipulation from adults and position eight is Child-initiated and shared decisions with adults. The results show that the investigated municipalities are considering the voice of the children in the local decision-making. Depending on different variables in focus, the position on Hart’s ladder varies between four and seven. The study concludes that successful implementation of children’s participation in local decision-making commands parallel work with organizational structures, systematic and adult’s attitudes.</p>

A qualitative study is presented concerning children’s participation in the local decisionmaking in Swedish municipalities. The study also aims at finding out what are considered to be successful factors and obstacles connected to the implementation of children’s participation in local decision-making. The study contains a summary of the convention on the rights of the child, focusing on article 12, as well as previous research findings concerning children’s participation and factors enabling respectively hindering participation. Method has been interviews with a purposive sample of politicians, civil employees and children from municipalities regarded as prominent in their work with children’s participation. Either through a formal or informal implementation model. The results have been analysed in the light of Roger Hart’s eight-step “ladder of children’s participation“, where position one is considered Manipulation from adults and position eight is Child-initiated and shared decisions with adults. The results show that the investigated municipalities are considering the voice of the children in the local decision-making. Depending on different variables in focus, the position on Hart’s ladder varies between four and seven. The study concludes that successful implementation of children’s participation in local decision-making commands parallel work with organizational structures, systematic and adult’s attitudes.

When young people are placed in residential care, the staff have a responsibility to ensure that the youth have a safe environment where they can thrive and develop. Residential staff also have responsibilities to ensure the rights of youth during the residential care. This study aims to examine how staff consider themselves to treat the youth in residential care. Furthermore the study aims to examine how the staff consider themselves to ensure youth their right to be heard and have an impact on their own lives, in agreement with Article 12 of the UN convention on the rights of the child (CRC). A qualitative method has been used in order to answer the study's purpose and issues. Five interviews were conducted with residential staff, four of which were environmental therapists and one who was a manager. The results show that the staff consider themselves to respond well to the youth, however, a good treatment is difficult to define and therefore hard to achieve. Furthermore, it appears that the knowledge about children’s rights varies among the staff, which can have negative effects on how they manage to reassure youth their rights to be heard and have an impact on their own lives, in agreement with Article 12 of the CRC.

In der Kinderheilkunde kommt es gelegentlich zu einem ethischen Konflikt zwischen Kindeswohl und Kindeswillen, wenn Kinder eine medizinisch indizierte Behandlung nachdrücklich ablehnen. Kann es in einer solchen Situation gerechtfertigt sein, das Kind zu einer Behandlung zu zwingen? Zur Beantwortung dieser Frage fehlte es bislang an medizinethischen Untersuchungen, die den Gehalt dieser beiden Begriffe sowie ihren Zusammenhang systematisch untersuchen.   In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde eine solche systematische Analyse der rechtlichen und ethischen Voraussetzungen der Begriffe Selbstbestimmung, Kindeswohl und Kindeswille in der Medizin vorgenommen sowie eine qualitativ-empirische Untersuchung in Form eines Faktoriellen Survey durchgeführt, um die praktische Relevanz der Fragestellung zu prüfen. Dazu wurde in Kooperation mit der Ärztekammer Niedersachsen eine repräsentative Stichprobe niedersächsischer Kinderärztinnen und Kinderärzte befragt. Es wurde untersucht, ob die Problematik in der Praxis der Kinderheilkunde eine Rolle spielt und ob Kinderärzte der Ansicht sind, dass der Kindeswille berücksichtigt werden müsse und auch ausreichend berücksichtigt werde. Weiterhin wurde geprüft, welche Kriterien dafür als relevant angesehen werden.  Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass ein solcher Konflikt zwischen Kindeswohl und Kindeswille in der Praxis nicht selten vorkommt und von Kinderärzten als Dilemma wahrgenommen wird. Die Kinderärzte halten es mehrheitlich für notwendig, den Kindeswillen schon bei Kindern zwischen 8 und 14 Jahren zu respektieren, auch wenn dieser dem Elternwillen widerspricht. Dies wird bisher in der rechtlichen Regelung nicht abgebildet. Auch konnte als problematisch herausgearbeitet werden, dass die Selbstbestimmungsfähigkeit Minderjähriger bisher ausschließlich anhand der kognitiven Fähigkeiten und des Alters, nicht jedoch an Hand anderer Reifefaktoren beurteilt wird. Entgegen der bisher im Recht vertretenen Auffassung, dass Minderjährige unter 14 Jahren einwilligungsunfähig sind, wird es in Zukunft notwendig sein, den Kindeswillen in der Medizin stärker zu berücksichtigen. Dies wird auch gestützt durch das in Artikel 12 die UN-Kinderrechtskonvention festgestellte Recht von Kindern auf eine angemessene Berücksichtigung der eigenen Meinung. Die Achtung vor dem Willen des Kindes ist notwendige Voraussetzung zur Entwicklung zu einem selbstbestimmten Erwachsenen.

This thesis analyses the American policy of sustaining freedom of navigation on the seas through its Freedom of Navigation Program (FON Program). It analyses Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs) as a means of maintain the current system of the law of the sea as put forth by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. (UNCLOS) The thesis deals with law of the sea history, it also describes and analyses the Convention itself. Another topic discussed is the unique position of United States as a power guaranteeing the current regime of the seas, while staying out of the provision of UNCLOS. The thesis analyses the American debate about joining the Convention and analyses the consequences of American absence as a party to the treaty. The FON Program and FONOPs in the South China Sea are thoroughly analysed by the thesis. The South China Sea is a troubled region suffering from excessive maritime claims of local states. These claims are closely connected to the militarization of the region. The People's Republic of China is an important force as a rising power striving for the position of a regional hegemon. The thesis describes, how FONOPs are conducted and it observes, how they are received by the target states. The thesis is set in the South China Sea region between October 2015 and May...

The dilemma is a self-perceived experience of a child who does not have his needs respected and met. This puts me as an educator to be put in situations where I need to analyze the event and the needs of everyone involved from different perspectives. The purpose and dilemma of this essay is to focus on my role as an educator but also as an adult in the preschooler's life and what impact this can have based on a self-perceived situation. The thesis deals with the collaboration between preschool and social services and what opportunities there are to support children who live in insecure and deficient conditions. The essay discusses what knowledge there is about reports of anxiety, when they are justified, who decides on them and what consequences they can have for the child. One focus concerns the collaboration with the social services, another on which criteria need to be met in order to make a report. While I have examined my role as an adult, I have also critically examined the cooperation between various authorities such as the National Agency for Education, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and preschool, based on literature and research in the field. The essay contributes with a clearer picture of the children's lives in preschool and what conditions affect them and what the political form of government has for the impact on the activities in preschool. Finally, I also reflect on the various governing documents as both a support and a limitation. / Dilemmat är en egenupplevd händelse där ett barn inte får sina behov respekterade och tillgodosedda. Detta försätter mig som pedagog att sättas i situationer där jag behöver analysera händelsen och alla inblandades behov ur olika perspektiv. Syftet och dilemmat med denna uppsats är att utifrån en självupplevd situation fokusera på min roll som pedagog men också som vuxen i förskolebarnets liv och vilken inverkan denna kan ha. Uppsatsen behandlar samarbetet mellan förskola och socialtjänst och vilka möjligheter som finns för att stödja barns som lever under osäkra och bristfälliga förhållanden. Uppsatsen diskuterar vilken kunskap som finns om orosanmälningar, när de är befogade, vem som beslutar om dem och vilka konsekvenser de kan få för barnet. Ett fokus gäller samarbetet med socialtjänsten, ett annat på vilka kriterier som behöver fyllas för att kunna göra en anmälan. Medan jag har undersökt min roll som vuxen har jag också kritisk granskat samarbetet mellan olika myndigheter som Skolverket, FN:s barnkonvention och förskolan, utifrån litteratur och forskning på området. Uppsatsen bidrar med en tydligare bild av barnens liv i förskolan och vilka villkor som påverkar dem samt vad den politiska styrformen har för påverkan på verksamheten i förskolan. Till sist reflekterar jag även över de olika styrdokumenten som både ett stöd och en begränsning.

FN:s barnkonvention blev svensk lag januari år 2020, med målsättningen att barnets bästa och barns rättigheter tydligt skulle genomsyra praktiken. Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur chefer inom barn- och ungdomsenheten på socialtjänsten beskriver förändringar i verksamheten med anledning av barnkonventionens införande som lag. För att besvara studiens syfte användes en kvalitativ studiedesign i form av semistrukturerade intervjuer, där totalt sju respondenter från sex olika kommuner fick representera empirin. Empirin analyserades med stöd av kvalitativ innehållsanalys och som teoretisk förklaringsmodell användes grunderna i en implementeringsteori. Studiens resultat visade att barnkonventionen implementerats olika mycket och på olika sätt i Sveriges kommuner. Skillnader i arbetssätt var till stor grad beroende av i vilken omfattning verksamheterna hade implementerat barnkonventionen. Den främsta skillnaden var att implementeringen har lett till en större tydlighet i arbetet, samt att barnets rättigheter har fått ett större fokus. Slutsatsen av studien visade på att staten behöver utveckla riktlinjer för hur barnkonventionen ska implementeras, samt säkerställa att samtliga kommuner får samma förutsättningar. Studien visade på ett vidare behov av att forska på vilka förändringar implementeringen har lett till inom socialtjänstens andra områden som inte direkt riktar sig mot barn. / The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child became Swedish law in January 2020, with the aim that the best interests of the child and children's rights should permeate the practice. The purpose of this study was to examine how social services managers within the children and youth unit describe changes in the organization due to the incorporation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child as law. In order to answer the purpose of the study, a qualitative study design was chosen in the form of semi-structured interviews where seven respondents from six different municipalities were allowed to represent the results. The empirical data was analyzed with support from the implementation theory. The results of the study showed that the Convention on the Rights of the Child has been implemented to varying degrees and in different ways in Sweden's municipalities. Differences in working methods were largely dependent on the extent to which the organization had implemented the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The main difference was that the implementation has led to greater clarity in the work, and that children's rights have received a greater focus. The conclusion showed that the state needs to develop guidelines for how the Convention on the Rights of the Child is to be implemented, and that all municipalities receive equal conditions. The study showed a further need to research what changes the implementation has led to in other areas of social services that are not directly aimed at children.

The practice of "kidfluencing," or using children as social media influencers to promote commercial products and services, raises ethical concerns about the commodification of childhood, them being viewed as products, and their rights falling between the gaps. This essay critically examines the moral dilemmas and challenges in regulating kidfluencing practices from a Kantian and virtue ethics perspective, analyzing the implications of commodifying childhood and the potential harm it can cause. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is used as a framework for evaluating the moral interests of children in the context of kidfluencing practices. Arguments for and against regulating kidfluencing practices and the challenges and dilemmas in achieving effective and consistent regulation are presented. The essay concludes with a summary acknowledging the limitations and the need for further research.

Syftet med denna kvalitativa studie är att söka förstå och identifiera barnombudens specifika kunskaper och erfarenheter för att kunna föra en konstruktiv diskussion kring vad detta kan tillföra andra yrkesgrupper som möter barn och unga. Detta genom att undersöka hur barnombud arbetar för att stärka barns rättigheter samt barnombudens reflektioner kring och erfarenheter av detta arbete. Studien baseras på intervjuer med barnombud i civila organisationer som företräder barn i kontakt med sociala välfärdsinstitutioner. Utifrån begrepp som advocacy (företrädarskap) och empowerment samt Harts (1992) delaktighetsstege har intervjuerna tolkats och analyserats. Barnombuden berättar om myndigheter som har svårt att göra barn delaktiga i beslut som rör dem samt om barn och unga som inte får sina rättigheter tillgodosedda. Barnombudens arbete handlar till stor del om att göra barn delaktiga. Detta sker genom att lyssna och skapa tillitsfulla relationer vilket barnombuden menar är en förutsättning för att kunna företräda. Detta relationsarbete kan ses som en del av en empowermentprocess som bidrar till ett ökat självförtroende hos barnen. Barnombuden upplever att det bidrar till att barn inser att deras upplevelser och åsikter betyder något. Barnombuden stärker barns delaktighet i myndighetsprocesser bland annat genom att vara en bro mellan barn och myndigheter där en viktig del är att göra myndighetsinformationen begriplig för barn och unga. Genom barnombudens arbete får barnen även en ökad kunskap och förståelse för sina rättigheter. En av slutsatserna är att även till synes små insatser, som att lyssna och tro på barn och ungas berättelser kan göra stora skillnader för barn och unga. En annan är att det finns en stor efterfrågan på barnombudens arbete som inte motsvarar de befintliga resurserna. Att barnkonvention blir svensk lag kommer sannolikt ha betydelse för barnombudens framtida arbete. Flera av barnombuden menar dock att det behövs mer än att barnkonventionen blir lag för att barns rättigheter ska kunna tillgodoses. / This qualitative study aims to understand and identify the children's right workers - advocates - specific knowledge and experiences in order to be able to contribute a creative discussion about what this can bring to other professional groups working with children and young people. This is done by examining how children advocates work to strengthen children's rights as well as their reflections on and experiences of this work. The study is based on interviews with advocates in non-profit organizations representing children in contact with social welfare institutions. The interviews have been analyzed by applying concepts and theories such as advocacy, empowerment and Roger Hart's Ladder of Participation. The advocates tell about authorities having difficulties making children involved in decisions concerning them, and about children and young people who are denied their rights. A vital part of the work of the advocates is about making children involved in decisions that affect their own lives. This is achieved by listening and creating relationships based on trust, which according to the advocates is a prerequisite for advocacy. The work with relationships can be seen as a part of a process of empowerment that gives children increased self-confidence. It also helps the children realize that their experiences and opinions matter. The advocates strengthen children's participation in authority decisions by being a link between children and the authorities. An important part is to make the information from the authorities understandable. Through the advocacy, the children also increase their knowledge and understanding of their rights. One conclusion is that even seemingly small efforts, such as listening and believing in their stories, can make big differences for the children. Another conclusion is that there is a large gap between existing resources and the need for the advocates’ work. The fact that the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child becomes law in Sweden, will probably be of importance for the future work of the advocates. Several of the advocates claim that more must be done to ensure that children's rights are met.

The purpose of this study is to examine the implementation of the Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, CEDAW, in Uppsala local council and county council. The aim is to examine how the respondents, in their daily work, understand and implement the convention as well as how they consider the prerequisites for a successful implementation. The study was conducted using qualitative interviews with three civil servants and four politicians. The theoretical approach was implementation theory whose concepts willingness, comprehension and capability were used as tools for the analysis. The results portray CEDAW as a well-known treaty amongst the respondents but at the same time absent in local politics and everyday work. The convention is perceived as an abstract and ideological document which reveals the respondents’ insufficient knowledge about CEDAW as a human rights treaty and the state´s obligation to eliminate discrimination against women. The results also indicate that unclear instructions and responsibility distribution as well as lack of resources, such as time and knowledge, obstruct successful implementation of CEDAW. In conclusion, gender equality is neither a prioritised issue in Uppsala local council and county council and nor seen as a human right.