Cambodia to resume foreign adoption

Cambodia has moved a step closer to the resumption of inter-country adoptions after a four- year suspension due to concerns over child trafficking, according to a Social Affairs Ministry's statement released to the media on Tuesday.

"The Central Authority for Inter-Country Adoptions of Cambodia begins to welcome agreements with countries that have intention to cooperate with Cambodia on inter-country adoptions," said the statement.

It added that through bilateral agreements, adoption agencies in the partner countries of Cambodia will be able to submit their application forms to Cambodia for an inter-country adoption operating license.

Cambodia banned foreign adoptions in 2011 in order to better regulate the adoption process, according to the statement.

The Southeast Asian country promulgated the law on Inter- Country Adoption on Dec. 3, 2009. The law makes clear that the government is cracking down on child trafficking, and it bans profit making in adoption, provides harsher penalties for lawbreakers. It said that adoptions can only be handled by authorized and trained officials.

More than 3,000 Cambodian children have been adopted by mostly Americans, Italians, French and British, said Social Affairs Secretary of State Nim Thoth in 2013.

Cambodia ratified the Hague Convention on Inter-Country Adoption in 2007. Endi