Afghanistan’s Forgotten Boys: Legal Pluralism and Impunity

Abstract

This article critically examines the pluralistic legal environment of Afghanistan, security sector reform processes engaged in by the international community, and the dismissal of the practice of bacha bazi as a cultural issue, which combined to allow the sexual abuse and exploitation of young boys to continue with impunity. The article calls for the United Nations and the international community to show strong, ethical, and transparent leadership on child protection within future mission mandates as a practical implementation of the secondary duty under the responsibility to protect (R2P).