The election campaigns are in full swing again. Posters, flyers, advertisements – we are inundated with them. But one topic is often missing: children's rights. Unbelievable, right? Political decisions in Brussels affect children directly. Climate policy determines their future. Migration affects children fleeing war. And security of existence? Children in poverty start their lives at a disadvantage.

The biggest social problems also affect children. Why then are their rights ignored in debates? European policy has a major influence on our youngest inhabitants. That is why we must protect their rights and well-being. And politicians must pay attention to this. That is missing. The Children's Rights Collective therefore took matters into its own hands and organized the only debate on children's rights in the European election campaign in De Balie in Amsterdam.

Marc Dullaert, chairman of the Children's Rights Collective, opened the evening with a plea to put the interests of the child first. This does not happen enough and it has major consequences: despite prosperity, millions of children in Europe grow up in poverty, two images of child abuse are posted online every second, and the EU Migration Pact allows children to be locked up. “Unacceptable,” said Marc Dullaert.

Six candidate European Parliamentarians debated poverty, online security and migration: Gerrie Elfrink (SP), Ufuk Kâhya (GL-PvdA), Judith Koop (CU), Laura de Vries (D66), Sacha Muller (Volt) and Gerben Horst (CDA). ). The Children's Rights Collective would not be the Children's Rights Collective if the voice of the child itself was not central to the debate. That is why each theme was introduced by an expert who immediately asked the candidate parliamentarians a question.

Poverty

The Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022, which establishes a regulatory framework for the establishment of a regulatory agency to oversee AHR in the state was passed without a vote in the Dáil yesterday. 

It includes measures which limits surrogacy within the state to couples in which the child will have a “genetic link to at least one intending parent,” and that there is no commercial transaction involved.  

However, the Bill also gives legal recognition to children who were born to surrogate mothers outside of the state and provides a framework for the licensing of commercial agencies engaged in international surrogacy. That recognition and the facilitating of such arrangements, all of which are commercial, in the future is in fact the main burden of the legislation.  The proportion of non-commercial arrangements within Ireland is likely to be a much smaller proportion.

It is notable that very few of the media reports on the passing of the legislation referred to the commercial aspects of international surrogacy, nor to any of the considerable criticisms of the practise. 

That avoidance of the monetary aspects is made easier by the fact that the only reference to the commercial nexus is covered by “reasonable expenses.”

CWC To Decide If Unwed Mom Can Reclaim Baby: HC

CITY

|Rosy Sequeira | May 29, 2024, 04:04 IST

Newgein/Weert -

Amanda Janssen, adopted as a baby from Sri Lanka, had a carefree childhood in a family in Weert. The shock was great when she discovered that her birth certificate was false and that her sister who came along was not a family member. She now heads a foundation that uses DNA kits to help other adopted children find their biological family. She herself is still searching in vain.

Today at 18:45 Roel Wiche

How old are you actually? When Amanda Janssen is asked that question, it is always an awkward moment. The only thing she knows for sure is that she was adopted from Sri Lanka to a family in Weert in February 1985. But every other trail to her origins has so far been a dead end: her identity papers turned out to be false, just like those of thousands of other children who were adopted at the time. "I don't know my roots, but I do exist. That makes it very complicated. As if the ground is disappearing beneath your feet. Who am I?"

Let's keep her age at 39, says Amanda, as she extinguishes the oriental incense sticks in her apartment in Nieuwegein and serves coffee on the balcony. Her ruby-red, authentic Sri Lankan dress sparkles in the sunlight. She tells her story at a time when adoption is all over the news: the Netherlands has immediately imposed a stop because the Lower House fears a repeat of past abuses. In Sri Lanka in particular, there was large-scale adoption fraud. The documents of no fewer than 2,300 of the 3,500 adopted children who came to our country were allegedly forged, revealed the TV programme Zembla a few years ago.

Chennai: Newborns who are abandoned, surrendered, or orphaned and left under the care of government-recognised adoption agencies may soon benefit from the powerful immune-boosting properties of breast milk. The milk will be sourced from the Comprehensive Lactation Management Centers run by the state health department.

Social welfare department and health department are working together to develop protocols for creating a dynamic list of infants, transporting breast milk with cold chain facilities, and providing safe storage in the agencies. “We have around 125 children under the age of six months in various registered adoption agencies. This is a dynamic list as children may go for adoption and some others may come in,” said social welfare secretary Jayashree Muralidharan. “So far, all these children have been given formula food. We thought of giving them breast milk as we have established government breast milk banks,” she said.

Madurai-based Claretian Mercy Home, which houses ten children under 18 months, is one of the potential beneficiaries. “We give the children formula feeds as per doctor’s prescription. While some products are from local markets, we source some through our donors from Europe,” said Fr Jose Pitchai CMF, who runs the home.

“We will give our children breast milk as it is a healthier option. We hope there will be adequate supply.” For up to six months of age, exclusive breast milk is the gold standard of nutrition.

“Breast milk ensures superior absorption of nutrients including those crucial for brain development. It is easily digestible and is packed with antibodies that prevent diseases,” said senior pediatrician Dr Rema Chandramohan, who heads the Institute of Child Health in Egmore.

The ‘child sale’ incident came to light after Tripura Opposition leader and CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury flagged the issue two days ago and sought the intervention of Chief Secretary J K Sinha and Dhalai District Magistrate Saju Vaheed A

The chief minister said the state government was providing 10 per cent additional funds for the development of Dhalai as it is an aspirational district. 

A day after the Dhalai district administration rescued a newborn who was purportedly sold by the mother, Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha on Monday said greater social awareness was needed to stop such incidents from recurring.

Speaking to reporters in Agartala on Monday evening, CM Saha said, “I got details of the case from the DM on the day we came to know about the incident. The baby was immediately returned to the mother.”

Saha also shot back at the Opposition CPI(M) for criticising the government over the alleged child sale incident.

Pleegouders zwaargewond meisje (10) opgepakt voor poging tot doodslag

De pleegouders van het 10-jarige meisje uit Vlaardingen dat verleden week zwaargewond naar het ziekenhuis werd gebracht, zijn maandagmorgen opgepakt. De 37-jarige Vlaardingers worden verdacht van poging tot doodslag en zware mishandeling van het slachtoffertje in hun woning.

Adrianne de Koning 27-05-24, 13:37 Laatste update: 27-05-24, 14:23

In de nacht van maandag op dinsdag werd het meisje met zwaar lichamelijk letsel en in zeer zorgwekkende toestand door de pleegouders zelf naar het ziekenhuis gebracht. Zij was niet aanspreekbaar en kon niet zelf vertellen wat er was gebeurd. Ze is er nog altijd slecht aan toe. Er waren direct twijfels over hoe zij zo gewond kon raken.

ISS Pioneer Advocacy related to adoption and, in particular, intercountry adoption.

• 27 MAY 2024   

WRITTEN BY: ISS INTERNATIONAL REFERENCE CENTER FOR THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN DEPRIVED OF THEIR FAMILY

• PIONEER ADVOCACY

Involved in the drafting of the 1993 Hague Convention on the ‘Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption‘ (HCCH 1993 Adoption Convention), ISS remains committed to ensuring that adoptions and, in particular, intercountry adoptions, are truly a child protection measure as set out in the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

On 27 May 2024, the Council has adopted new rules to reinforce the fight against trafficking in human beings. These rules provide stronger tools for law enforcement and judicial authorities to investigate and prosecute new forms of exploitation, including those that take place online and will ensure a higher level of assistance and support to victims.

The adoption includes the following measures:

• EU countries will be required to include the exploitation of surrogacy, of forced marriage, and of illegal adoption as forms of exploitation explicitly covered by the definition of trafficking in human beings in their national law;
• Trafficking committed through the use of information and communication technologies will be considered as an aggravating circumstance when it relates to sexual exploitation, which means that it can lead to higher penalties;
• EU countries will be required to establish Formal Referral Mechanisms, enhancing early identification and assistance of victims, as well as single national focal points, which will form the basis of a European Referral Mechanism;
• The knowing use of services provided by trafficking victims will become a criminal offence, with the aim of reducing the demand that fosters trafficking;
• National Anti-Trafficking Coordinators will be established, and Member States will also have the possibility to designate independent bodies. The adoption and regular updates of National Action Plans will also become mandatory;
• EU-wide data collection on trafficking in human beings based on specific indicators will become mandatory and will be published annually by Eurostat.

Young mother was allegedly forced to give up her five-month-old for adoption

A young mother’s life has been torn apart after an official of a child adoption organisation allegedly forced her to give up her five-month-old son. Picture | Henk Kruger.

Published May 25, 2024