| Summary: | In the light of the Convention on the Rights of the Child gaining legal status in Sweden this thesis examines the implementation of the convention on a municipal level, specifically the implementation of Article 12 and children’s right to participate in all matters affecting them. With this purpose objectives and means are examined and compared between two municipalities: the municipality of Uppsala and the municipality of Örebro. By creating a frame of analysis based on previous research and theory on children’s participation, a text analysis has been conducted on key municipal policy documents and a case study has been conducted of municipal channels for participation. In conclusion the implementation of Article 12 differs between the municipalities where the responsibility to realize children’s right to participate is a shared responsibility in Örebro municipality in comparison to Uppsala municipality where the responsibility lies with some departments. In Örebro municipality children’s participation is often defined as a right while it in Uppsala municipality often is defined as an instrument to reach other goals. The case study emphasizes the importance of critically examining who actually participates in initiatives for children’s participation, who has power over the agenda and with what effects. For the realization of children’s right to participate initiatives must be inclusive, important and with clear intentions and effects.
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