What is the history of the Hague Adoption Convention?
The final text of the Hague Adoption Convention, a multilateral treaty, was approved by 66 nations on May 29, 1993 at The Hague. On May 1, 1995, the Convention entered into force between the first three countries that ratified it: Mexico, Romania, and Sri Lanka. Over 70 countries have now joined/ratified the Convention. The United States signed the Convention on March 31, 1994, signaling its intent to proceed with efforts to ratify the Convention. In 2000, both Houses of Congress passed bills for implementation of the Convention. President Clinton signed the IAA into law on October 6, 2000, and the next step of developing the implementation regulations began. On February 15, 2006, the Department of State issued the final regulations on the Accreditation and Approval of Agencies and Persons to implement the Convention and the Intercountry Adoption Act (IAA) following analysis and consideration of approximately 1,500 public comments they received. Among other things, these regulations in
