In 1989, the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), a seminal instrument in protecting the rights of children. Uniquely, this convention was the only one to receive near universal ratification, with African countries comprising half of the first 20 to sign the convention. Ghana was first among these countries to ratify the convention. This set off a bandwagon effect of other African countries quickly ratifying the convention. However, a year later, African governments reacted to their low involvement in the drafting process of the UNCRC and also to what they thought to be an inadequate representation of the real experience of the African child in the UNCRC. Consequently, this group adopted their own version of the convention -the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC). However, unlike the experience with the UNCRC, African nations were not quick to ratify their own Charter; the ACRWC is hardly discussed in public and policy forums in Africa, and its use among those charged with the protection of children is minimal. Using the lenses of policy diffusion, I assess the influence of coercion and emulation mechanisms on privileging the UNCRC which is used as the main organizing framework for child rights in most African countries. Additionally, I look at how Ghana's political reputation influenced other African adopters, an effect which was not replicated with the ratification of the ACRWC. Implications for social work research, policy and practice are discussed.

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In many countries, a birth certificate is necessary to attend school, receive health care, inherit property, open a bank account, gain access to credit, obtain other forms of identification, vote, and receive a death certificate (Hunter and Brill, 2016). A birth certificate is proof of identity, citizenship and serves as a gateway to the realisation of other rights for children. It also serves as evidence that a child has been registered. Using evidence from the Tanzania National Panel Data 2010/11, I show that birth registration predicts lower odds for possessing a birth certificate for children in Tanzania. Instead, the education of the mother and the ability of households to pay for their own malaria bed nets, serve as the strongest predictors for possessing birth certificates in Tanzania. The article concludes with recommendations for improving birth registration and certification in Tanzania.