In accordance with article 3 of the Convention on the Rights of Child (CRC), the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration in all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies. This principle, reiterated in article 21 CRC in relation to adoption, implies a case-by-case appreciation of the interest of the child, and conflicts with a general approach which considers the adoption of a child as beneficial for him in all cases. Also, one should not lose sight of the fact that the interests of the child may be perceived differently depending on the culture, and that its respect does, inevitably, not lead to the same solutions as those commonly admitted in Western societies.
©International Social Services and International Reference Centre for the Rights of the Child Deprived of their Family (ISS/IRC)
