Congo's government says it has drafted new adoption legislation and reviewed cases pending since the country halted international adoptions in 2013

US News

Congo has drafted new adoption legislation and reviewed cases pending since it halted international adoptions in 2013, the government said. Among the recommendations in the legislation, international adoptions will only be allowed if solutions in Congo are lacking, both in the family and public. The new law also states that those seeking to adopt must present themselves before a tribunal in Congo and adoptions will only be considered from countries with good diplomatic relations with Congo. The new law also obliges the government "to fight against human trafficking as well as other risks to which children may be exposed when taken from their natural environment for permanent care in another country."

International adoption was halted in Uganda in 2013, with authorities saying their adoption system was beset by corruption and falsified documents. Many adoptions had been legally approved by the Congolese courts but then the government suspended the issuing of exit permits, halting in-process adoptions for families around the world.