Intercountry adoption

The Adoption (Intercountry Aspects) Act 1999 comes into force on 1 June, some four years after the date in its title. The Act allows the UK to ratify and implement the 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (10 years after the date in its title). The convention is designed to establish safeguards to protect the best interests of children and puts in place a cooperative system between countries to prevent the abduction of, sale of or traffic in children. The key requirements of the convention: