Report on the In-house Capacity Building Workshop on Intercountry Adoption, ICDC, Florence, Italy, 14-17. September, 1998

REPORT ON THE IN-HOUSE CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOP ON INTERCOUNTRY

ADOPTION, ICDC, FLORENCE, ITALY, 14-17. SEPTEMBER, 1998

1.0 Background and Participants:
This was the first UNICEF in-house capacity building workshop on the subject of adoption. The
workshop was organized by the International Child Development Center. It was necessitated by the
situation in UNICEF offices in all regions where abusive and illegal practices on adoption of
children internationally have been alleged or proven. In the such circumstances UNICEF offices
are faced with a continuous challenge of stating and/or defending UNICEF position on intercountry
adoption.
Participants in this workshop were comprised of mainly UNICEF officers, from ICDC, New York
and the following countries: Armenia, Barbados, Bangladesh, Colombia, Ecuador , Guatemala,
Romania, Rwanda, and Uganda. Other participants were from: Save the Children (UK) Rwanda, a
national NGO on adoption in Paraguay, the International Social Services, Hague Convention on
Private International Law, the Netherlands Committee for UNICEF and the Government of
Romania.
2.0 Workshop Objective:
 To analyze the purpose of intercountry adoption among other welfare measures;
 To identify international principles and standards on intercountry adoption and mechanisms to
safeguard them;
 To review acceptable and unacceptable conditions for intercountry adoption;
 To identify high risk situations; early warning signs of abuse and how to prevent abuse.

3.0 Workshop Methods:
Participants made presentations on country situation and experiences. Presentations were made on
relevant themes on international provisions such as, the Hague Convention on Intercountry
Adoption and situation regarding ratification. County presentations gave insight in varying
situations leading to adoption of children internationally, related principles and standards; as well
measures to safeguard them .
Regarding Africa , the main factors behind adoption are mainly conflict situation and HIV/AIDS,
leading to an increase in the number of unaccompanied children and of orphans(orphans in Uganda
refer to a child who has lost one or both parents). These have overwhelmed the capacity of the
extended family system. Not loosing sight of the situation in Rwanda, intercountry adoption in
Africa is not as massive as the case is in some Latin American and Eastern Europe countries.
Nevertheless, the situation poses a challenge of developing and/or strengthening in country foster
care and adoption systems and structures.
4.0 Lessons Learnt and Programming Implications:
 Continuity is of paramount importance for children in need of alternative family care. Preference
should be given to children staying in their countries. Intercountry adoption should be a last resort;

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 It is important for countries to rectify the Hague Convention on Intercountry adoption . The
Convection provides a mechanism to strengthen compliance with set standards, principles and
coordination among Central authorities designated by state parties;
 It is important to sensitize communities and train key actors at center, district and community
levels on conditions and structures in place to regulate adoption . There is also a need to
strengthen capacity of agencies working on foster care and adoption ;
 There is a need to identify children at a risk of abandonment so that appropriate strategies could be
mapped out in time to prevent separation of parents and children; specific focus should be on
single, adolescent parents and those in conflict affected areas;
 For children put in institutions as an alternative family care facility , it is important to plan for their
future when they grow above 18 years;
 There is a need to strengthen national and regional capacity to monitor and evaluate alternative
family care initiatives;
 It is important for countries to prepare prospective foster care and adoptive parents. A criteria for
matching children and prospective parents should be worked out for the good of the adopted
children and the foster care/adoptive families
 UNICEF position on adoption is that we should advocate for children staying in their countries to
provide for continuity. Intercountry adoption is a last resort.

5.0 Post -workshop Action:
The way forward was agreed on as follows:
 Promote discussion and follow up on recommendations of the workshop in national fora;
 Organizers of this workshop to inform regional offices on the outcome of the workshop for action
to be initiated at regional level;
 Countries to share information, materials and reports on the subject;
 Policy to be developed on the adoption at regional and Headquarter levels;
 Draft report to be sent to the participants for review before a final workshop report is produced.

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