Adoption: procedures still being fine-tuned

Cambodge Soir

02-10-2008

Thursday 2 October, the French Ambassador to Cambodia, Jean-François Desmazières, wished to set the record straight, in front of a group of journalists, concerning the adoption procedures in Cambodia which are sometimes subject to misinterpretations.

Regarding the year 2008, Jean-François Desmazières indicated that the number of adoption visas delivered by the French Embassy in Cambodia remains relatively low, with only 12 cases. The year 2000 saw the highest number with 228 delivered visas, just before the halt of the adoption procedures.

Signed by the Cambodian authorities on the 1st of August 2007, the agreement protocol concerning child protection and international collaboration regarding adoptions came into effect, while respecting the international regulations of The Hague. It was ratified on 29 May 1993. However, the number of adoptions organised by French citizens hasn’t therefore increased. The French authorities seem to be very cautious in Cambodia. The dialogue with other western countries introducing demands, particularly Italy and the United States, is an important step concerning a possible new start of adoptions. But it looks like the efficiency of organisations authorised to organise adoptions is being questioned. There are only two at the moment, l’Agence francaise de l’adoption (AFA) and Les Amis des enfants du monde (AEM), which face difficulties in meeting the high demand of French people wishing to adopt.

Finally, other uncertainty, the capacity of the Cambodian administration to meet this demand from rich countries, without giving in to activities of embezzlement, well known during the previous years amongst the people wishing to adopt. All these uncertainties create doubts concerning the capacity of Cambodia to meet the demands of the foreigners wishing to adopt. For what concerns the French, it seems like internal reforms are taking place, and the presence of a voluntary concerning adoptions in Cambodia, according to the request of Rama Yade, French Secretary of State for Human Rights, shows that things are evolving in the right direction.

For what concerns the situation of French residents in Cambodia, who usually enjoy a higher tolerance concerning adoptions, the Ambassador wished to express his disagreement concerning “fake residents” who settled in the country for a short period of time with the intention to facilitate their adoption procedures. Furthermore, the various countries which authorise international adoptions aren’t following a joint policy. This way, an Australian residing outside Australia can adopt in any other country, while a French citizen can only adopt in his host country.