International norm implementation in combating human trafficking in post-communist democracies: an analysis of the Czech Republic, Poland, and Ukraine

Thesis (M.A., International Affairs) -- California State University, Sacramento, 2009.This thesis analyzes how post-Communist transitional democracies implement international human rights norms and to what extent international regimes contribute to this process. The study of norm implementation has become more relevant in the international relations field as a result of increasing globalization, and such research can likewise provide insight into state behavior. Using the framework of the UN Protocol, the author focuses on three countries- the Czech Republic, Poland, and Ukraine-and how they have implemented international human rights norms in the area of human trafficking. This study ultimately finds that economic conditions, NGOs, and regional international government organizations, such as the European Union, seem to have a greater impact on how successfully these case studies have implemented anti-trafficking norms. In contrast, international human rights regimes appear to play a less significant role in international norm implementation.International Affair