State-Civil Society Relationship in the Implementation of UNSCR 2242

Abstract

This thesis examines the role of civil society organisations (CSOs) in the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2242 in Nigeria, the United Kingdom (UK), and Spain, and explores the relationship between the state and CSOs during the process. It builds on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) scholarships and contributes original insights into the activities, methods, and tensions that inform the relationships between state and CSOs during efforts to implement WPS resolutions at the domestic level. It does so by conceptualising the WPS Agenda as a series of international norms reproduced as domestic policies, which must align with existing domestic policies, including, in the case of resolution 2242, measures to counter terrorism and violent extremism. The thesis applies Matland's (1995) policy framework Ambiguity Conflict Model (ACM) to explore the levels of ambiguity and conflict that shape the state's engagement with CSOs in activities to implement UNSCR 2242 in the three case study countries. The thesis shows that accounting for the levels of ambiguity and conflict provides some insights into the use of coercive and bargaining measures to encourage compliance from CSOs during activities to implement UNSCR 2242, early intervention measures, and community programs in the Nigerian and UK contexts. It also highlights the use of problem-resolution measures to promote collaboration between CSOs and state governments to implement the UNSCR 2242 as community programs and measures in Spain. However, the model does not provide insights into how the state maintains power and influence over the overall policy implementation process and the outcome. To address this, the thesis accounts for control to gain an in-depth understanding of the relationship between the state and CSOs, and how the state addresses tensions to ensure that it achieves its desired implementation outcome.