The Hague Convention: Pros, Cons and Potential

This revised speech describes the Hague Convention’s significance both in terms of the law on the books and the law on the ground. The Convention’s language advanced child rights in international law to the protection of international adoptive homes. However the Convention has been misinterpreted and misused so that it has actually functioned to date to destroy children’s opportunities for adoption. The future remains open for the Convention to serve as it was intended by the framers to expand international adoption as an option for unparented children.