20 September 2023 is the first Year Anniversary of the publication of the UN’s Joint Statement on Illegal Intercountry adoptions.
I’m still buzzing with the incredible energy from the event and working collaboratively with our global community to present to the UN Committees and Rapporteurs as victims of illegal intercountry adoptions!
Our community is amazing when we can harness our power and work collectively!
It’s no small feat to overcome the individual traumas, in and ex-adoptee group politics, national and global politics, the power struggles and toxicity that can deter many individuals from stepping up to become an advocate whilst living the ongoing consequences of our illegal adoptions. But on 20 September we showed what can be achieved when we work together!
To watch the UN event again click here on this link. To read the UN’s summary click here.
To read ICAV’s collective paper that I presented in my 5 minute speech, presenting our lived experience and suggestions for how to move forward, click English, Spanish, and French.
The paper represents input from adoptive countries (9): Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Netherlands, Sweden, UK, USA; and birth countries (19): Chile, China, Colombia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Greece, Haiti, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Mali, Peru, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Venezuela, Vietnam.
To read my speech and hear our top 4 priorities of action, click here.
To watch the incredible family voices of 3 countries of origin, see short 5 minute videos below which we played at the UN meeting.
Click on CC for subtitles in English
I’m so proud of the many who contributed and worked with ICAV to make the UN event the success that it is. Thank you for your trust in ICAV to represent your voice, to work with us to present, and to Voices Against Illegal Adoption (VAIA) for making this possible! May we one day see the end result of our efforts, which will still take no doubt years more work to achieve, but the momentum is growing as we push for the changes needed!
Resources
Is my adoption illegal or illicit? (an easy to read guide)
Voices Against Illegal Adoptions (VAIA) Speak at the United Nations
One adoptee’s thoughts on the UN Joint Statement on illegal intercountry adoptions
Let’s talk about illegal and illicit intercountry adoptions
Webinar: Lived experience of illegal and illicit adoption (hearing from the adoption triad)
Governments finally recognising illicit and illegal intercountry adoption practices
Lived experience suggestions for responses to illicit adoptions (first ICAV global collaborative paper for the Hague Working Group 2020)