Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, January 21:

A workshop on ‘Legal provision of adoption for the rehabilitation of Nepali children in the family’ was organised today to discuss the existing law on adoption of Nepali children by Nepalis and foreigners and suggest timely changes for its proper implementation.

Nepal Bar Association (NBA) and Children’s NGO Federation Nepal (CNFN) had organised the workshop. At a time when more and more children are being orphaned due to the rising violence, natural disasters and accidents, adoption of such children could provide a good opportunity to the children, participants said. Ganesh Bhakta Shrestha, general secretary of CNFN, presenting the paper on Children- Adoption and Law, said, though the adoption of children is a part of the Nepali tradition, the provision of adoption of Nepali children by foreigners came only after the establishment of Nepal Children Organisation in 1969. After that some 2000 Nepali children have been adopted by foreigners, he added.

“Though Nepali families adopt children, this trend is very slow compared to foreigners adopting Nepali children. To encourage adoption of children within the country, awareness programmes are very important, he said. Advocate Prachanda Raj Pradhan, presenting a paper on the provision of adoption in the Muluki Ain (Civil Code), said, “Priority should be given to adoption of children by families within Nepal.” He stressed the need for simple and uniform adoption procedures as well as the introduction of new law to regulate adoption by the foreigners. Speaker Tara Nath Ranabhat said that the issue of adoption of children was a very sensitive issue. “The state has been introducing many ad hoc laws at the moment and it would not be much difficult to introduce new laws on adoption,” he added.

Shashi Kanta Mainali, secretary of Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare said, “Instead of blaming the state for not fulfilling its responsibility, we should realise that ourselves as citizens have not fulfilled our responsibility.”