Thank you, Madam Chairperson. It is my pleasure to introduce Bill 2, Intercountry Adoption Act. This act implements the 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. The convention made several recommendations to create a safety net for children affected by intercountry adoptions and to encourage cooperation between countries to ensure safeguards are respected.
This act is part of a Canada-wide and international effort to protect children from illegal adoptions such as adoptions for the purposes of organ retrieval, child pornography and child prostitution.
In order for Canada to adopt the Hague Convention, every province and territory must enact legislation that implements the convention. Most other jurisdictions already have amended or enacted legislation regarding the convention.
In addition to reviewing legislation from other jurisdictions, the Department of Health and Social Services has consulted with other departments and aboriginal organizations. Particular attention was given to making sure that the Intercountry Adoption Act will not impact aboriginal custom adoption practices. According to a declaration filed by the Canadian government, such adoptions are not within the scope of, or affected by this legislation.
On August 28th, the bill went to standing committee and received clause-by-clause approval. At that time, the standing committee recommended that the federal declaration about aboriginal custom adoption be mirrored in our Intercountry Adoption Act. The Department of Health and Social Services supports that recommendation and a motion was prepared and shared with the standing committee. Thank you, Madam Chairperson. I would be pleased to answer any questions Members may have. Thank you.