Press Release

UNICEF and the French government join efforts to Improve International Adoption Standards in Viet Nam

23 August 2018

  • Ha Noi, 23 August, 2018 – UNICEF and the French Embassy in Viet Nam have signed an agreement to officialize their collaboration to improve international adoption standards in Viet Nam. The two-year project will help to strengthen the legal and policy framework on adoption. It will also support a pilot project in two provinces on intercountry adoption in compliance with the international standards defined in the 1993 Hague Adoption Convention. Finally the project will help build capacity of agencies and organizations working on adoption, including on monitoring and supervision through training on alternative care and adoption processes and procedures.

"Viet Nam has ratified the Hague Convention in 2011 and the authorities have committed to ensure that intercountry adoption is done in an ethical and transparent manner giving paramount consideration to the best interests of children," said Youssouf Abdel-Jelil, UNICEF Representative in Viet Nam. "Despite progress, the child protection system in the country is still nascent and intercountry adoption in Viet Nam still faces several gaps and challenges to meet international standards."

The Intercountry Adoption Service of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs supports the Vietnamese central authority on this path as Viet Nam is the first country of origin in terms of adoption for France. In order to implement the three parts of the project, the Intercountry Adoption Service has allocated to UNICEF EUR 100,000 for two years which will fund activities with different government agencies in charge of intercountry adoption in Viet Nam and to pilot a high-quality operational model of intercountry adoption in Ho Chi Minh City and in Da Nang.

UNICEF's work in Viet Nam focuses on building and strengthening the child protection system, working with government partners, UN agencies and civil society to ensure that a robust legal and policy framework is in place for the protection of children and to build capacity of the social welfare, justice and law enforcement sectors.

The Intercountry Adoption Service is the French central authority ensuring the respect of relevant international commitments that France has ratified such as The Hague Convention.

Contacts

UN entities involved in this initiative

UNICEF
United Nations Children’s Fund

Goals we are supporting through this initiative