Adoptions in Kyrgyzstan

I just read this on Lori's blog and my heart sank. I am sad right now. I was just as saddened to read that the US Manas Airforce Base will be closing there as well. While we were there, we were fortunate enough to get to meet several of the servicemen and women who were at the orphanage, bringing donations. When we were to return to pick up Ellie, I was reading about how Kyrgyzstan was going to have to make a decision about the base -- deciding to continue their relationship with the U.S. or to receive much needed financial assistance from Russia, who demanded no American military influence. And, honestly, given their history and proximity, I understand their decision. It doesn't make me any less saddened for all the recent turn of events in the country.


The Committee for Migration, Labor, Social Policy and Healthcare of the Kyrgyz Parliament, with support from UNICEF, organized the conference devoted to the discussion of "revision of adoption legislation and procedures" which was held from January 30 through February 2 of 2009 in Issyk-Kul region. The conference was attended by the members of the Parliament, representatives of the Office of the Government, director of the children protection department of the state agency for physical culture and sport, youth affairs and children protection, UNICEF representatives in Kyrgyzstan and others. UNICEF international consultant Erve Boechat was invited from Switzerland to participate in the discussion of this matter. Parliament member G. Derbisheva reported that this matter requires careful approach and efforts to improve legislation in this field. Last year, the Parliament formed a parliamentary commission to consider the issues of national and international adoption. The commission has not completed its work yet. While it continues to work on the improvement of the legislative framework, the Committee for Migration, Labor, Social Policy and Healthcare submitted to the President an initiative to announce a moratorium on the national and international adoption, reported the parliament member.At the conference, the international consultant made the following presentations:* Problems of inter-country adoption in Kyrgyzstan * International experience and tendencies and main context of international adoption in the world * Evaluation of legal regulation, procedures and practices of adoption and others.A UNICEF specialist particularly stressed the Hague Convention adopted in 1993 and effected in 1995. Today, this Convention is signed by 76countries of the world. It covers children protection and regulates cooperation in international adoption, said E. Boechat. He further informed in his presentations that in Kyrgyzstan 11 charity organizations deal with international adoption and that more than 200 children have been adopted by foreigners in the last two years. This issue stirred up a stormy discussion among the parliament members. In particular, the parliament members emphasized that the state must pay top priority attention to this matter and generally to children protection. The legislators insisted that international adoption must be used as a final resort only and demanded to toughen the practice of international adoption. In the opinion of certain parliament members,the handicapped children and disabled people whose treatments is costly may be allowed to be adopted by foreigners. It is expected that this issue will be discussed again at the forthcoming Round Table.