Limited Gains, Enduring Violations

Abstract

Against the backdrop of continuing rights violations in Bangladesh, this paper analyses issue-salience and framing in the policy discourse of civil society organisations (CSOs) and state elites on the implementation of the U ited Natio s Co e tio o the 'ights of the Child (CRC). Data from the reports submitted to the second-le U ited Natio s Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the official monitoring mechanism associated with UN rights treaties, show how state discourse is framed in instrumental, administrative terms. In contrast, civil society discourse is critically framed and highlights poor implementation and enforcement of the CRC, poverty, and corruption. This helps to explain ongoing rights violations in an increasingly hostile political context wherein government is unresponsive to civil society claims, mobilisation is suppressed and CSOs are forced to focus on service delivery and advocacy functions.