European jurisdictions play a central role in intercountry adoption, both as the countries of origin for children being placed, and as the receiving countries. In 2010, 50% of all children involved in intercountry adoption worldwide were sent to countries within Europe, while, for the past 15 years, three European States (France, Spain, and Italy) have been in the top five receiving States in the world. In addition, of the approximately 30,000 children involved in intercountry adoption per year worldwide, around one-third come from European jurisdictions. The question that this book examines is very simple: how can we best protect the rights of these children? Using the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption as the foundation for analysis, the book provides an examination of the application of children's rights in the field of intercountry adoption. It uses European jurisdictions as examples of both good and bad practice in order to illustrate the issues that arise in the practical implementation of these principles. In doing so, the book proposes normative guidelines within which intercountry adoption can be effected in a manner that protects the rights of children in Europe. The book covers the following issues: the place of intercountry adoption within the domestic system * the applicability of intercountry adoption as a child protection mechanism and the impact it can have on other forms of alternative care * the conditions for parental consent to intercountry adoption, including the identity of those who must give consent * the mechanisms used to prevent consent being obtained improperly and to prevent the illegal trafficking of children * the participation of the adopted child in the decision-making process * the right of the child to obtain information concerning his or her biological parents * the eligibility of prospective adopters * the support necessary for a successful adoptive placement. On December 9, 2015, the author Claire Fenton-Glynn was awarded the prestigious Inner Temple New Author's Prize for this book.(Series: European Family Law - Vol. 36)
About the Author: Claire Fenton-Glynn is a Lecturer in Law at King's College London. She undertook undergraduate studies in law and international relations at the University of Adelaide in Australia, before completing the BCL at the University of Oxford and her PhD at Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge.
Her research lies in the field of human rights and the protection of children. She has published on a wide range of issues including as inter-country adoption, parental child abduction, and international surrogacy, as well as the right of the child to identity, and child participation in family law proceedings. At the core of this research is the way in which private international law instruments interact with human rights norms, and the protection of children and youth in regional and international instruments. She is an Associate Fellow of the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law, and works as a consultant on children's rights with the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.