Voices for Vietnam Adoption Integrity

The following note was posted on the website of the US Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam:

On November 29, Ambassador David Shear visited Bac Lieu province in southeast Vietnam. His itinerary in the province included a visit to Bac Lieu orphanage and meetings with local officials.

While the Embassy has given no further public details about the orphanage visit or meetings with Bac Lieu officials, it is possible that discussions could be related to the 16 Bac Lieu “pipeline” adoption cases.

From the Irish Times:

THERE ARE issues still to be addressed in the area of adoption between Ireland and Vietnam, Minister of State for Trade And Development Jan O’Sullivan said yesterday, but the situation had improved considerably since Hanoi ratified the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption.

“There is more clarity about what the issues are, and I think we can deal with some issues in the meantime. Intercountry adoption is a highly sensitive issue and we have to make sure any arrangements made are absolutely appropriate,” said Ms O’Sullivan.

In a news report today in the Irish Times, Ireland’s Minister for Children, Frances Fitzgerald, was quoted as saying,

“Last month I met the Vietnamese ambassador to Ireland, Mr Vu Quang Minh,” Ms Fitzgerald said, “and I impressed upon the ambassador Ireland’s wish to continue to see Vietnam as a country of choice for adoption for prospective Irish adoptive parents.

She went on to say:

“The necessary diplomatic engagements will continue between Ireland and Vietnam to ensure these final steps are now taken and I have already arranged to again meet the Vietnamese ambassador to Ireland before the end of the month,” she added.

Read the whole story here.

From the Department of State:

The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption will enter into force in Vietnam on February 1, 2012, following Vietnam’s ratification on November 1, 2011.

The United States recognizes Vietnam’s initiatives leading to this significant development and applauds the Government of Vietnam’s renewed commitment to strengthen its child welfare system and the integrity of its domestic and international adoption process. We continue to caution adoption service providers and prospective adoptive parents that, to ensure that adoptions from Vietnam can be compliant with the Convention, important steps must still take place before intercountry adoptions between the United States and Vietnam resume. We further caution adoption service providers against initiating, or claiming to initiate, adoption programs in Vietnam until they receive authorization from the Government of Vietnam.

The Department of State will provide updated information on www.adoption.state.gov as it becomes available. If you have any further questions about this notice, please contact the Office of Children’s Issues at 1-888-407-4747 within the United States or 202-501-4444 from outside the United States.