European jurisdictions play a central role in intercountry adoption, both as countries of origin for children being placed, and as receiving countries. In 2010, 50 per cent of all children involved in intercountry adoption worldwide were sent to countries within Europe, while three European states - France, Spain and Italy - have been in the top five receiving states in the world for the past 15 years. 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 aims to answer 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, this 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. This book argues that children involved in intercountry adoption should be afforded the same safeguards, the same protection, as children in domestic placements, in a system that focuses on the welfare of the child as the paramount consideration. The book covers in detail 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, and how it can be dispensed with - 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

Bringing together scholars from a wide range of disciplines, this fascinating and timely Research Handbook provides diverse perspectives on the law and practice of adoption. It examines how adoption laws differ between countries and cultures, and the ongoing effects of adoption on the child, the birth parent(s), and the adoptive parent(s). This Research Handbook documents the history of adoption legislation and offers comparative perspectives on the implementation of full adoption in England and Wales, in contrast to the use of simple adoption in other European countries. Chapters examine the challenges facing adoption law; from adoption without parental consent and anonymous birth, to transracial and intercountry adoption, as well as discussing the human rights of the child during and after the adoption process. Providing an abundance of global research on all aspects of the topic of adoption, Nigel Lowe and Claire Fenton-Glynn offer a comprehensive guide to the past, present, and future of adoption law. The Research Handbook of Adoption Law will be an indispensable resource for students and researchers of family law and social work, as well as human rights lawyers, legal practitioners in the field of adoption, and social workers worldwide.

Children often fare the worst when communities face social and environmental changes. The quality of food, water, affection and education that children receive can have major impacts on their subsequent lives and their potential to become engaged and productive citizens. At the same time, children often lack both a private and public voice, and are powerless against government and private decision-making. In taking a child rights-based approach to sustainable development, this volume defines and identifies children as the subjects of development, and explores how their rights can be respected, protected and promoted while also ensuring the economic, social and environmental sustainability of our planet.

Over the past 10 years, a convergence of scientific, demographic, legal and social developments has led to a significant influx of cases of international surrogacy. What was previously a marginal form of parenthood has become a multi-billion dollar industry, raising concerns for surrogate mothers, commissioning parents, and children alike. Lawyers, philosophers and health care professionals have struggled to formulate a framework to ensure the protection of surrogate mothers from exploitation, whilst combatting the vulnerability of commissioning parents to agencies and intermediaries, and providing children born as a result of this practice with certainty regarding their identity, status, and nationality.The transnational nature of the issues raised in relation to international surrogacy agreements means that individual states have struggled to take decisive action, and there remains a myriad of different responses to this issue. This book brings together experts from Eastern and Western backgrounds, to consider the way in which different jurisdictions have responded to surrogacy, both within their own borders, and when an international agreement takes place involving one of their citizens. Each chapter includes a discussion of the laws concerning the establishment and contestation of legal parentage through surrogacy under domestic law; the rules and laws concerning surrogacy arrangements on a domestic level; and approaches to recognition of legal parenthood acquired through surrogacy in other jurisdictions. In addition, the chapters consider the socio-economic context of surrogacy in the chosen jurisdictions, through questions concerning the profile of surrogate mothers and commissioning parents, the involvement of intermediaries, and the nature of the interactions between these parties. In this way, the book provides a comprehensive understanding of the confluences and tensions in the way surrogacy is approached in these jurisdictions, and seeks to identify trends emerging from these different regions.In doing so, Eastern and Western Perspectives on Surrogacy seeks to contribute to the greater understanding of the regulation of surrogacy throughout the world, and will serve as a reference work for anyone involved in practice, academia or law reform in this subject area.

The European Convention on Human Rights is one of the most influential human rights documents in existence, in terms of its scope, impact, and jurisdiction. Yet it was not drafted with children, let alone children's rights, in mind. Nevertheless, the European Court of Human Rights has developed a large body of jurisprudence regarding children, ranging from areas such as juvenile justice and immigration, to education and religion, and the protection of physical integrity. Its influence in the sphere of family law has been profound, in particular in the attribution of parenthood, and in cases concerning child abduction, child protection, and adoption. This book provides a comprehensive and detailed overview of the jurisprudence of the Court as it relates to children, highlighting its many achievements in this field, while also critiquing its ongoing weaknesses. In doing so, it tracks the evolution of the Court's treatment of children's rights, from its inauspicious and paternalistic beginnings to an emerging recognition of children's individual agency.

Children often fare the worst when communities face social and environmental changes. The quality of food, water, affection and education that children receive can have major impacts on their subsequent lives and their potential to become engaged and productive citizens. At the same time, children often lack both a private and public voice, and are powerless against government and private decision-making. In taking a child rights-based approach to sustainable development, this volume defines and identifies children as the subjects of development, and explores how their rights can be respected, protected and promoted while also ensuring the economic, social and environmental sustainability of our planet.