Officials examine inter-country adoption of Lao children
Officials examine inter-country adoption of Lao children
Lao government officials and representatives of international organisations learned about inter-country adoption yesterday to ensure all Lao children retain their full rights if adopted in other countries.
Professor Ket Kiettisack (centre left) and Mr Tim Schaffter (centre right) address the meeting.
Deputy Minister of Justice Professor Ket Kiettisack said the government welcomed the adoption of Lao children by people living in other countries, but it should be ensured the children have full rights after adoption.
“Adopted children should be able to visit their birth parents in their home country,” Professor Ket said at the opening ceremony of the Orientation on Inter-Country Adoption, held in Vientiane.
“A good example is people of Lao ethnicity living in France or the US who want to adopt Lao children,” he said. “In Lao tradition, close relatives are the main people to adopt children, helping big families to reduce poverty.”
The Ministry of Justice’s Nationality Division Deputy Head, Mr Bounleuth Saymikya, told the government would give preference to people of Lao ethnicity living abroad and wanting to adopt Lao children.
“Anyone is welcome to adopt, whether they are single or married, so long as they fulfill the related legal conditions,” he said.
Mr Bounleuth explained that those wanting to adopt Lao children should first be allowed to do so by their own government. They should have a permanent job, be of sound mental and physical health and have no criminal convictions.
Potential parents should be at least 18 years older than the child in question, and most importantly, the child’s natural parents must approve and the child must be satisfied with the decision, he said. Adopted children should be under the age of 18.
Officials will then invite the adopting parents, natural parents and children for interviews on the reasons behind the decision, to ensure the adopted children fully benefit.
Mr Bounleuth said the government does not allow anyone to adopt children from the Lao SOS Children’s Villages, which are set up to care for orphans, as children there are already taken care of by their teachers, who act as guardians as well as providing their education.
At the orientation meeting a UNICEF presentation highlighted that all decisions relating to children should be in their best interests.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child states that every child has the right to know and be cared for by his or her own parents.
UNICEF believes families needing support to care for their children should receive it, and that alternative means of caring for a child should only be considered when, despite this assistance, a child’s family is unavailable or unwilling to care for him or her.
An appropriate alternative family environment should be sought in preference to institutional care, which should be used only as a last resort and as a temporary measure; inter-country adoption is one of the range of options.
For the past 30 years, families from wealthy countries wanting to adopt children have increased.
But lack of regulation and oversight (particularly from the countries of origin) together with the potential for financial gain, have led to a growth in the adoption industry.
Abuses in this industry include the sale and abduction of children, coercion of parents and bribery.
The ratification of the Hague Convention on Inter-Country Adoption is designed to put into action principles regarding inter-country adoption which are contained in the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Inter-country adoption enjoys the same safeguards and standards which apply in national adoptions, and should not result in improper financial gain for those involved.
In case of war or natural disasters, even if both parents are dead, the chances of finding living relatives, a community and a home to return to still exist.
Such children should not be considered for inter-country adoption. Family tracing should be a priority.
UNICEF Representative in Laos, Mr Tim Schaffter, attended the meeting together with officials from the justice ministry, other government sectors and international organisations.
Source: Vientiane Times
By Xayxana Leukai
Febuary 19, 2011