NEW CBO ADOPTION: MINISTER OPTS FOR PHASE-OUT SCENARIO

It is with great disappointment that the NAS and ANW have taken note of the decision of the Minister of Justice and Security not to award the establishment of the new CBO for intercountry adoption to our initiative.

As new organizations, founded after the entry into force in 1998 of the Hague Adoption Convention in the Netherlands, ANW and the NAS represent the innovators in the adoption field. Unimpeded by the ballast from the period investigated by the Joustra Commission, we have been the pioneers and drivers of changes that have served the interests of children, based on our positively critical work attitude. In no way can our organizations be linked to the abuses of the last century. We regret that with our passion and high ethical standards we did not get the chance to establish the CBO. The minister awards the CBO to Wereldkinderen, a respected colleague but also part of the situations from the last century that prompted a review of the system.

With pain in our hearts we accept the decision regarding the CBO, especially because there is a fundamental difference of opinion with regard to the future of adoption and its importance for children. In the ANW and NAS plan, we stated that adoption should be maintained as an international child protection measure, regardless of where your cradle was. We believe that there are parents in the Netherlands now and in the future who can and want to play a role in providing a permanent family for children who cannot or are not allowed to grow up with their biological parents. In addition, in line with the Hague Convention, we believe that appropriate care does not mean that you grow up in a home or a system or in ever-changing foster care situations. The minister clearly makes different choices in this respect,

The minister has also made a choice for the countries with which cooperation will continue in the future and countries which will be divested. At the moment there are still active collaborations with 17 countries and children from all countries that meet the principles of the Hague Adoption Convention can be helped, provided that suitable parents are available. That will change drastically.

The US, Haiti, Peru, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are being phased out from the NAS and ANW's range of countries. Ongoing files in these countries may be processed, except in Haiti. This has to do with the security situation in the country. It is still allowed to adopt from our partner countries South Africa, Hungary and Lesotho. Whether the cooperation with Portugal (NAS) and Bulgaria (ANW) will be continued will be further assessed by the ministry. The other countries with which the Netherlands wants to maintain the adoption relationship are Thailand, the Philippines and Taiwan.

With the choices that have been made with regard to the partner countries, the Netherlands seems to be moving towards a phase-out scenario for intercountry adoption. This is also in line with the wishful thinking that adoption will no longer be necessary in the future. The reality is that in many countries of the world, children have to grow up in damaging homes and systems. This is contrary to the convictions of our organizations and the treaty-based right of children to grow up in a family and the international agreement that children grow up in homes as little as possible. It also means that it is no longer realistic for us to set up the CBO, regardless of the question of the award and the way in which it came about.

The information has now been sent to the House of Representatives, but the House still has to consider this and talks with sending countries and partners still have to take place.

We have informed our foreign partners about the Minister's decision regarding the CBO. Naturally, they reacted with disappointment and bewilderment. It is up to our partners and the sending countries with which the Netherlands still wishes to cooperate to decide whether or not to enter into a partnership with the new CBO.

In addition to the children, our heart goes out to the (future) adoptive parents. Anyone who would like to adopt a child in the future must have exceptional perseverance and an excellent financial position.

The prospective adoptive parents of the NAS and ANW have been informed about the decision. A more detailed timeline will have to follow as to how the transition will take further shape.

Nijmegen/Oudewater, November 2, 2022

Sanne Buursink, director director ANW

Arnold Schouten, director director NAS

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