International adoption - Order No. 543 (1998)1 - Mafia networks

Europol not mentioned - but here as refererce

Order No. 543 (1998)1 International adoption 1. The Assembly, recalling its Recommendation 1371 (1998) on the abuse and neglect of children, notes aberrations in current international adoption practices. 2. Recent events have highlighted the existence of mafia networks which organise trafficking in new-born babies or young children to supply the international adoption market. Unscrupulous intermediaries have no compunction in exploiting the extreme poverty of the populations of certain countries and in organising the abduction of children from families in the poorest regions of Europe, in order to offer them for adoption by couples unable to find children for adoption in their own countries. This transfrontier criminal activity, facilitated by the opening of borders in Europe, generates substantial profits. 3. The Assembly cannot but speak out strongly against this despicable exploitation of children who are abducted from their natural families. 4. The Assembly instructs its Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee, in conjunction with the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights and the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography, to draft a report on the problem of international adoption. __________ 1. Assembly debate on 22 April 1998 (15th Sitting) (see Doc. 8041, report of the Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee, rapporteur: Mr About; and Doc. 8076, opinion of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, rapporteur: Mrs Plechatá). Text adopted by the Assembly on 23 April 1998 (15th Sitting).

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