CHILDREN’S RIGHTS: This section contains a mix of press articles and statements, all of which are a useful way of building a profile of Emma and understanding her views on these issues. The subject of international adoption features strongly here as this is an important issue which can threaten children’s rights and is an issue that Emma has addressed.

Launch of Children’s High Level Group

PRESS STATEMENT
25TH JAN 2006
The new NGO will promote child welfare reform across Europe
In the past, the following statements have been made:
“The year 2005 has marked the entry into force of two new laws related to the promotion and protection of child rights and the legal status of adoptions.  These reforms emphasise the primary responsibility of the […]

The Children’s High Level Group

Although huge challenges still remain, Romania has done more to reform its child welfare system than any other country in Eastern and Central Europe . Thanks to the political will of successive Romanian governments (since 2001) as well as generous support from the EU and other donors, Romania has really “turned the corner” in this […]

Implementing Children’s Rights In Romania

Emma led the campaign to protect the rights of the Romanian children. She also led the fight against the trade in children, known as Inter-Country Adoption. This has been a controversial struggle against a large, rich and well-organized lobby, which remains in the shadow and uses well meaning parents and children as their campaigners and […]

Defending The Marsh Arabs

As the European Parliament’s Rapporteur for Iraq , Emma has been leading the campaign to draw attention to the plight of the Marsh Arabs of southern Iraq .
The Marsh Arabs have lived in the Mesopotamian Marshlands for over five thousand years, carving out a unique way of life. However from the mid-1980s until its fall, […]

Children’s High Level Group statement on international adoptions

The role of adoption in protecting children’s rights
Statement to European Parliament meeting on international adoptions by Children’s High Level Group
Brussels, 9 November 2006
International adoption is an emotive issue, but the international legal position is very clear – that it should be considered as an alternative ONLY if the child cannot be placed in a foster […]

My position on Inter Country Adoptions

Published in VIVID (Romania) and Transitions Online (www.tol.cz)
February 2006
By Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, MEP
Successive Romanian governments have made it clear that Inter-Country Adoptions (ICA) are no longer permitted. The decision to ban ICA came about because the market in children – following the 1997 legislation on adoption – led to rampant corruption. This corruption […]

INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION ON THE INTERNET

Paper presented to the European parliament debate on inter-county adoption 16th May 2005
Authors: Shihning Chou, M.Sc. (Corresponding author), Melanie Kirkaldy, B.Sc., Kevin Browne, Ph.D.
Affiliation: Centre for Forensic and Family Psychology, University of Birmingham
Abstract
Many adoption agencies operate on the internet to promote their ‘services’ when such activities seem more financially driven than child focussed. This study […]