21st Feb:
Kathmandu, Nepal –
The government of Nepal is mulling to amend again in the adoption-related provisions, which were amended on last December, stating that recent provision failed to impress the western countries.
The Ministry of Woman, Children and social welfare has said that it will prepare a draft proposal to amen on the exiting provision. The government was under pressure to amend the provision not only from the domestic institution but also from the international adoption group, a loose alliance of Western countries whose citizens adopt Nepali children.
A loose group, who adopts Naples children largely, from the countries like USA, UK, Norway Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Switzerland other western countries have been insisting that they can not adopt Nepalese children unless the government amend in the existing adoption-related provisions.
It has been mandatory provisioned that any organization working on the sector of facilitating inter-country adoption should submit details about each orphan child to a Probe and Recommendation Committee (PRC) within seven days and to a Family Selection Committee (FSC) under MWCSW within 14 days. Likewise, concerned district administration office (DAO) also needs to verify the child about his or her status.
Some domestic organizations have been pressing the government as it has been provisioned that the government deserves right to de-list any organizations eligible for inter-country adoption if it found involved in fraudulent practices. Those de-listed organizations will be barred from facilitating inter-country adoptions for the next five years.
Likewise, the government had also provisioned that any children’s organization or orphanage home should have engaged for a minimum of six years in the field of child welfare to be eligible for facilitating inter-country adoptions. However, International communities have been objecting the existing provision stating that it lacks of integrity in the system.
Following the widespread condemnation that some institutions in home are trading Nepalese children with fake documents, the government had amended on the provision. However, the amended provision failed to impress the western countries.
US Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Janice Jacobs, who was in Nepal visit recently, has also conveyed her country’s concern that existing provision is not sufficient to resume the adoption. During the visit with officials she had mentioned that the recent amendment in the adoption process is not sufficient.