Kenya: Changes to Law Seek to Beat Child Traffickers At Their Own Game

Children

1 JULY 2018

By Gakuu Mathenge

A raft of legal amendments in the National Assembly seeks to tighten laws and confront child trafficking involving wealthy and well-connected criminals.

High Court reunites child with prospective parents

CARA had rejected adoption application after parents got US citizenship

The High Court of Karnataka has directed the Central Adoption and Resources Agency (CARA) to treat a couple who sought to adopt a girl child as ‘In Country’ (Indian) parents rather than ‘Intra Country’ parents. They had obtained US citizenship after applying for adoption and CARA subsequently rejected the couple’s application. The HC has, however, said that this case due to its “peculiar circumstances” will not be a precedent for similar cases.

The husband is an IIT graduate while the wife is a graduate from an IIM. They have worked in many MNCs and had worked in the USA for a while. Married in 2006, they have been residents of Bengaluru since 2016. They made an application for adoption in 2016.

They applied for adoption through the Central Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System (CARINGS) and were registered a Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs) in 2016. They were eligible for ‘in-country’ adoption at the time. But the husband obtained US citizenship shortly and it was intimated to CARA through a declaration. As per CARA’s direction, a new application was filed in 2017.

Papalal Ravi (extreme left) who was attacked. (Photo: DC)

Papalal Ravi (extreme left) who was attacked. (Photo: DC)

HYDERABAD: A man who adopted a Muslim girl after she lost her parents in the twin blasts that rocked the city in 2007 has claimed that he was repeatedly stabbed by another person earlier this month. The incident came to light on Friday. Mr Papalal Ravikanth, a resident of Shahinyathgunj, is recovering at the Osmania General Hospital.

“On June 1, while I was in my house, one Bal Kishan and others stabbed me on my legs, stomach and chest. “The doctors put 60 sutures on my body and saved me. I feared I would die. There are several persons who do not want me to live and are trying to kill me,” he said. He claimed that a few persons owing allegiance to some right wing organisations were behind the attack. Asked why he had to stay in the hospital for nearly a month, Mr Ravikanth said he had undergone three skin transplants as he had suffered deep wounds.

Mr Ravikanth, who makes idols of deities at Narsing Mandir in Sultan Bazaar, told this newspaper that people of the were harassing him for keeping a Muslim girl at his home. “We allow her to follow her religion. She brought happiness to our house and leads the other children in studies,” he said. The police has denied this version. When contacted, Shahinyathgunj inspector M. Ravindar Reddy said Mr Ravikanth was stabbed by Bal Kishan, who was involved in a murder case in the police station area a few months ago.

App to track, reunite missing children

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BENIN SIGNS AND RATIFIES THE 1993 HAGUE INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION CONVENTIONHome News Archive

Benin signs and ratifies the 1993 Hague Intercountry Adoption Convention

On 28 June 2018, Benin signed and deposited its instrument of ratification to?the?Hague?Convention of 29?May 1993 on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. With the signature and ratification of Benin, the 1993 Hague Convention now has 99 Contracting Parties. The Convention will enter into force for Benin on 1 October 2018.?

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At the ceremony, which took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands (i.e., the Depositary of?the Hague?Conventions), the Embassy of Benin was represented by H.E. Zacharie Richard Akplogan, Ambassador, accompanied by Mr Robbert Blij, Honorary Consul of Benin in the Netherlands. On behalf of the Depositary, the Head of the Treaties Division, Ms Coos ‘t?Hoen, and Senior Legal Officer, Mr?Mark Groen, attended the ceremony. Secretary General Christophe Bernasconi and Principal Legal Officer Laura Martínez-Mora represented the Permanent Bureau of?the Hague?Conference on Private International Law.??

Writ against adoption by foreigners

This is the first time that minor girls from Bharatpur are being adopted by couples from foreign countries.

JAIPUR Jun 28, 2018

HT Correspondent

The five girls, aged between three to six years, are currently lodged in a children’s home under the social justice and empowerment department in Bharatpur.

Rajasthan news

The five girls, aged between three to six years, are currently lodged in a children’s home under the social justice and empowerment department in Bharatpur. (Getty Images/iStockphoto (REPRESENTATIVE?PIC))

Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Bharatpur on Thursday filed a writ in a family court against adoption of five minor girls by foreigners from an orphanage in the city, raising question about adoptees security in alien countries.

The five girls, aged between three to six years, are currently lodged in a children’s home under the social justice and empowerment department in Bharatpur.

They have been adopted by couples from America, Spain and New Zealand after completing legal process of adoption. Three girls will go to Spain, one to New Zealand and one to America.

The full Senate and House Appropriations Committees finished their work on the State-Foreign Operations Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2019 currently under consideration in Congress. We are thrilled to share that both committees have recommended $132.5 million – matching the amount requested by UNICEF USA and its advocates – for the U.S. Government’s contribution to UNICEF for Fiscal Year 2019.  

This is an important victory in our efforts to secure passage of the funding for UNICEF, but the battle is not yet over. Now the full House and Senate need to pass the bills sent to them by their Appropriations Committees. However, we are encouraged by the bipartisan support we received once again to maintain UNICEF’s funding at the same level of $132.5 million that was provided last year for Fiscal Year 2018. This is especially remarkable since the President’s Budget Request to Congress for Fiscal Year 2019 did not seek any funding for UNICEF.

Once again, our elected officials have demonstrated their commitment to putting children first and enabling UNICEF to continue its life-saving work to protect children from violence, exploitation, and abuse, support basic education, and save children from preventable deaths. This funding is an effective, measurable investment that reflects our American values. 

This wonderful news comes at the close of my 25-year career with UNICEF USA, leading our public policy and advocacy work from the nation’s capital. Over these past 25 years, our grassroots volunteers, partners, and advocates have enabled us to receive a total of $2.86 billion in funding that we have dedicated to directly impact children and young people. We take great pride in our growing network of supporters! Our advocates are diverse, energetic, and passionate. They have rejected cynicism about gridlock and dysfunction in Washington. They have charged forward with an infectious energy and a determination to make a difference that has inspired the Senators, Representatives, and staffers on the Hill. We are especially proud of the young people who have shown their commitment to UNICEF, and we hope that they will continue to engage and advocate on behalf of the world’s children.

While there will always be more to do, momentum is with us. We are stronger than ever before. May we all be energized and renewed by our accomplishments and continue to strive for positive change for the lives of millions of children around the globe!

The two-day conference " Child friendly justice and integrated child protection systems - lessons learned from EU projects ", organized by the European Commission, Justice and Consumer Affairs Department, ended yesterday - 26 June , for a cross-cutting comparison between stakeholders from the 28 European Union countries.

Among those present was also a representative of Ai.Bi., Monica Barbarotto, Head of Projects and International Cooperation of Amici dei Bambini.

Objectives of the two-day event in Brussels: to learn and exchange good practices in the field of European planning for justice systems and child- friendly protection with a view to " Child friendly justice and integrated child protection systems" .

On the first day of work, held Monday 25 at the Albert Borschette convention center, some of the interventions funded by the Commission over the last 3 years were presented, with the aim of illustrating methodologies and practices ready to be replicated.

Among all, a Swedish project on the promotion of ' barnahus': multi-purpose centers and places where the child undergoing judicial procedures can take advantage of numerous services and the support of a multidisciplinary team; from the medical tests to the therapies, from the places for the testimonies to the interrogations, all followed by doctors, social workers, psychologists, magistrates and representatives of the police.

SERA Romania Foundation wants to create a recovery center for children with disabilities in Calarasi

In the ordinary meeting of the Calarasi County Council, which will take place on Thursday, June 28, the draft decisions regarding the approval of the Calarasi County association with the SERA Romania Foundation and the General Directorate for Social Assistance and Social Protection will be submitted to the County Council. investment objective "Recovery center for the child with disabilities Calarasi". In our county, there are identified 237 minors with autism spectrum disorder, of whom 70 are in Calarasi municipality, and 49 minors with Down Syndrome, of which ten are in Calarasi municipality.

In promoting the best interests of the child, the society's efforts must be directed towards supporting and assuming responsibilities towards it in order to increase the quality of life, aiming to ensure that all services, in any of the areas of interest, comply with the standards for its harmonious development.

Disability is part of the human condition. Anyone can reach a disability situation resulting from the interaction of health conditions with the environment in which the person lives, develops and works. Disability is a complex phenomenon, multidimensional and dynamic, at present the focus is on removing the barriers of attitude and environment, which impedes the full and effective participation of people with disabilities in society, on a level playing field with others.

SERA Romania Foundation, through the registered address to the Calarasi County Council under no. 8970 from May 22, 2018, communicated a proposal for an association agreement between Calarasi County with SERA Romania Foundation and with the General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection in Calarasi for achieving the investment objective "Recovery Center for the child with Calarasi disabilities". Through this Agreement, the SERA Foundation commits itself to bear the expenses generated by the construction of the headquarters, as well as its endowments in proportion of 85%, and the Calarasi County Council has a share of 15% of the entire value of the investment.