Working for Child Protection in Zambia

About the Author: Robert Romanowski serves as Vice Consul at U.S. Embassy Lusaka.

Ambassador Susan Jacobs, Special Advisor for Children’s Issues, completed her five-country Africa tour in Lusaka, where she commended the Zambian government for its efforts towards accession to the Hague Conventions on Adoptions and Abductions. She said that the government’s step-by-step approach would help facilitate and hasten the implementation of international standards following accession and serve as a model for countries in the region.

In meetings with ministers, Members of Parliament, social workers, orphanage representatives, and civil society organizations, Ambassador Jacobs dispelled the concerns of some adoption stakeholders who were eager to accede to and domesticate international child protection frameworks, but were wary that Hague accession would prevent Zambians from managing intercountry adoptions. Characterizing Hague as a practical, culturally neutral… more »

(Source: blogs.state.gov)