IAVAAN - Trafficking & ISS

TRAFFICKING OF CHILDREN, DEFINED BY INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL SERVICES

In the June 10 Extra, the Voice of America news release about “illegal adoption rings” was discussed. As it happens, the words “illegal adoption rings” never appears in the UNICEF report. The closest the report comes is using “variety of criminal offences,” most of which are alleged to be the work of “recruiters.” Because “trafficking” is such a loaded word, a look at the ILPEC paper (ILPEC is the Latin American Institute for Education and Communication, which represents International Social Services (ISS) in Guatemala) is needed. The ILPEC report says: “Trafficking of children in Guatemala refers to the excessive number of children who leave Guatemala through international adoption, without efficient control, transparency, regulation over prices, and a clear knowledge of the child’s origin.” ILPEC goes on to provide a list of U.S. adoption agencies, with this allegation: “The following list of agencies was taken from Internet (sic) and it is important to observe the supply of children, in this case within the United States, as if they were manufactured according to the public demand [emphasis added].”

Thirty-three agencies are listed, including such well-known names as The Gladney Center, Holt International Children’s Services, Los Ninos International Adoption Center, PLAN International Adoption Services, and Wide Horizons for Children, just to mention a handful. The information seems as if it may have originated in International Concerns for Children’s Report on Intercountry Adoption, given the format and information provided. In the June 12 Extra, a comparison of the definition ILPEC uses for trafficking and what actually takes place in Guatemala will be provided.

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William L. Pierce, President and Executive Director for the U.S.A. Committee of IAVAAN, June 12, 2002

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