OSCE Parliamentarians Back Resolution On Intercountry Adoption

OSCE Parliamentarians Back Resolution On Intercountry Adoption

July 03, 2013

Officials from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly have approved a resolution aimed at protecting children and families from legal changes during the process of intercountry adoption.

U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (Republican-Mississippi) introduced the nonbinding resolution at the assembly's annual session in Istanbul.

It calls on the OSCE's 57 members to resolve differences related to intercountry adoption in a "humanitarian" spirit and avoid any "indiscriminate disruption of intercountry adoptions already in progress."

The resolution comes after Russia instituted a politically charged ban on adoptions by U.S. families on January 1.

More than 600 adoptions in progress were canceled.

Adoption advocates criticized Moscow's move.

While the OSCE does not keep official roll-call votes, a source familiar with the matter told RFE/RL that several CIS delegates voted against the resolution.