In a recommendation unanimously adopted on 24 January, the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) called for the easing of international adoption rules. PACE recommended a revision of the Hague Convention of 29 May 1993 on Protection of Children and Co-operation in respect of Intercountry Adoption, to secure harmonisation in this area and greater flexibility, while continuing to ensure that children's rights are respected.
The Assembly also noted that the absence of rules on registration – in some countries there is no legal requirement to register children at birth - and general laxity in procedures have permitted the emergence of parallel circuits and trafficking in children. Establishing strict procedures, in particular for ensuring post-adoption monitoring, should lead to a considerable reduction in abuse. PACE therefore urges member states that have not yet done so to amend their family and criminal law to prevent trafficking in children and illegal adoptions.
In her report, Ruth-Gaby Vermot-Mangold (Switzerland, SOC) is particularly critical of the disappearance of new-born children in Europe for the purposes of illegal adoption and the trafficking of babies for sale. During her fact-finding visits, the rapporteur met mothers who had been told by hospital officials that their babies had died shortly after birth, whereas it seems likely that they were sold for adoption. PACE therefore calls on the authorities of the countries that may be concerned to reopen the cases of newborn babies that have disappeared and conduct inquiries.
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