Conference on adoption to lead ratification of Hague Convention

Amidst the growing criticism that sending orphans to abroad for adoption from Nepal is 'fostering as baby business', and 'transaction of bribe money' the 1st International Conference on Inter-Country Adoption has kicked off in Kathmandu from Sunday.

The organizers have claimed that the conference will lead to the ratification of the Hague Convention on Inter-Country Adoption and the adoption of national laws and mechanisms to regulate in-country and inter-country adoption.

The conference is organized by the Ministry for Women, Children, and Social Welfare in association with Central Child Welfare Board and Child NGO Federation Nepal and Nepal Children’s Organization.

Inaugurating the conference, State Minister for Women, Child and Social Welfare Urmila Aryal said that the government has seriously undertaken the media reports about the corruption prevailing in adoption process. She also informed that the government would enact separate law pertaining to adoption in line with the Hague Convention.

Issuing a press release, country representative of UNICEF in Nepal Gillian Mellsop has said that adoption should always be the last resort. She said "Lack of education and oversight, particularly in the countries of origin, coupled with the potential for financial gain, has spurred the unfortunate growth of an industry around adoption."

Hague Convention is the convention that sides the rights to the child adoption and protection.

150 representatives from 25 nations including Canada, Sweden, UK, Poland, Romania, and India are participating in the three days long conference.