Intercountry Adoption – An African Perspective

Africa has become the new frontier for intercountry adoption. Between 2003 and 2010, the number of children adopted from Africa increased three-fold, yet Africa seems to be ill-equipped in law, policy and practice, to provide its children with enough safeguards when they are adopted internationally. In practice, intercountry adoption suffers from poor regulation in many African countries and where regulation exists, implementation of the same is inadequate. This report is an abridged version of the AcPf study entitled “Africa: The New Frontier for Intercountry Adoption”. It highlights the legal and policy gaps that expose adopted children to abuse and exploitation, the policy options for intercountry adoption, and presents AcPf’s position on intercountry adoption. African societies and above all, African governments have and must assume full responsibility to provide the legal and material basis for the raising of Africa’s children.