Government preparing new laws on inter-country

http://www.nepalitimes.com/issue/387/Nation/14487

Government preparing new laws on inter-country

adoption

From Issue #387 (2008-02-15 - 2008-02-21)

Following the exposure of a market in ‘orphans’ and

the taking away of children without their birth

parents’ consent in Nepal’s poorly regulated adoption

process last year, the Ministry of Women Children and

Social Welfare, headed by a Maoist minister, suspended

inter-country adoption.

The ministry stopped processing files, and those

awaiting final signature from the ministry were sent

back to the District Administration Office. Embassies

stopped issuing visas, and the ministry said that

nothing would move until the inter-country adoption

process is altered to make it similar to the adoption

policies in other countries.

When international adoption from Nepal was stopped,

there were over 400 families awaiting final signature

from the ministry who could not take their children

with them. The indefinite halt meant that some parents

started camping out in Kathmandu, adoption forums like

Nchild and Adoption Nepal started filling up with

stories of the children left behind, pleas for

information and open letters to senators and to the

ministry in Nepal.

When the Maoists left the government in September, the

families who were awaiting response thought that

things might change in their favour. However, it was

only after much pressure from the US and European

governments, and months of deliberation and debate

that the government decided to ease the ban for the

400-plus families whose files were pending at the

ministry.

Three months since the decision was made, the ministry

is in the process of approving the few files that are

now left from the original 400. “Inter-country

adoption is still suspended,” says the ministry’s

legal officer Prakash Adhikari, adding, “the ministry

only has a mandate to process the 400 or so pending

files, and we are in the final stages.” He said that

once the process is complete the ministry would focus

on the new policy on adoption.

Gyan Lama at the Kathmandu’s district administration

office, who was on the review committee to draft the

new set of policies says it will be more transparent

and specific in terms of regulations for inter-country

adoption. The new set of policies was sent to the

Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs,

which sent it back to the Ministry of Women Children

and Social Welfare with recommendations, but when the

minister resigned in September the process was

stopped. Although the ministry has a new minister, the

new set of policies will not be ready before elections

on 10 April.

(Mallika Aryal)