This thesis examines the European Union's (EU) mainstreaming efforts of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in its foreign operations. Despite its acceptance by all European member...Show moreThis thesis examines the European Union's (EU) mainstreaming efforts of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in its foreign operations. Despite its acceptance by all European member states and an extensive rhetoric on promoting and protecting children's rights, the EU has received critique on its practical commitments. While previous studies have highlighted the challenges towards mainstreaming children's rights in the EU's general foreign policy, this article focuses on the EU’s mainstreaming efforts within specific operations, or more specifically the MENA region. The findings reveal that, while limited, the EU has mainstreamed children's rights into both policy processes and outcomes. However, this varies per operation. Moreover, it also reveals that the primary focus of the EU remains on protection and provision aspects rather than empowerment. Constructivism and norm cycle theory help explain the limited level of mainstreaming of the CRC in EU foreign policy and finding potential solutions towards effective mainstreaming of children’s rights. The findings contribute to the discourse on advancing children's rights mainstreaming in EU foreign policy and guiding the EU's rhetoric into action.Show less
