The 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption form the framework of principles and rights that should guide all interventions and decisions regarding minors, especially those in situations of vulnerability.
Within this framework, national and international adoption is considered a protective measure that must always respond to the best interests of the minor, without considering other interests unrelated to this.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child, when referring to intercountry adoption, establishes the principle of subsidiarity, which dictates that intercountry adoption should always be used as a last resort, once possibilities of protective measures in the child's own country have been exhausted.
As a protective tool, intercountry adoption must be guaranteed by the states responsible for it and only competent organizations in the protection of minors should intervene in these processes.
These organizations, by legal mandate, are obliged to ensure that intercountry adoption is always decided in the best interest of the minors.
Which minors can be adopted
The minor eligible for adoption is one who meets the legal conditions and whose personal, psychological, and social circumstances recommend it. It is important to distinguish between a minor in need of institutional protective measures and one who is adoptable. Many children and adolescents need protection, but not all are adoptable.
Who can apply for intercountry adoption
Those offering for adoption must understand that the interest of the minor is above all else. They must also understand and address the emotional, health, and comprehension needs of the lived history, according to the child's age and circumstances up to the moment of adoption.
- Regulations on intercountry adoption
- Procedure for intercountry adoption
- Information on countries of origin
- Central and competent Spanish authorities
- Accredited bodies for intercountry adoption mediation
- Consultative council and international organizations
- Associations of adoptive families and adopted persons
- Documents of interest
Automatically translated with OpenAI from Spanish