The level of the international diplomatic relations should be distinguished from the level of social work.
The interlocutor took notice that the spheres of international relations and social protection of children have absolutely different goals and objectives.
This is how the expert of the Humanitarian Techniques Agency, candidate of pedagogic science
Sviatlana Matskevich commented upon the law that prohibits the adoption of Russian children by American citizens passed in reaction to the Magnitsky’s case in the talk with the
EuroBelarus Information Service.
“When we talk about adoption, then we decide the problem of social aid to children who find themselves in difficult situation in the first place. But when we decide diplomatic questions, then we find absolutely different goals and objectives there. And when these questions start crossing and everything is piled up, then everything says about the emotional reaction rather than the rational one”, - assumes Sviatlana Matskevich.
Besides, these actions of Russian authorities suggest their lack of professionalism in the diplomatic sphere, all the more so if it is maintained that everything is done allegedly to defend the rights of the young citizens, believes the expert.
On the whole, the presence of differences between the procedures of adoption within the country and on the international level is rather tolerable: “Each country assigns its own national adoption procedure. And it is rather normal. The adoption procedure is determined basing on the implied order in the country, domestic legislation, depending on which constitution is adopted and what kind of social policy is chosen”.
Of course, there are international norms confirmed by the Convention of the rights of the child, to which all the countries, including Belarus, should adhere.
In Belarus such a system has been formed where the main accent is put on the adoption within the country. “And basically, it is correct, - assumes Sviatlana Matskevich. – If there are resources and possibilities within the country, then we don’t have necessity to implement this procedure with the help of the sources from without”.
The interlocutor pointed out that Belarus witnesses certain progress in the questions of adoption: the state is constantly looking for the new forms and social technologies: all sorts of children’s villages are organized, as well as children’s homes and SOS-villages, matrimonial homes.
“As a matter of principle, today Belarus is able to cope with this question. And if some desires and precedents from the side of the foreign citizens do occur, then this procedure is feasible to go through. Only that it has bureaucratic complications, which are still rather reasonable”, - assumes Sviatlana Matskevich.
She noted that for Belarusan citizens the adoption procedure is not that easy, too: lots of certificates should be collected, as well as education courses and committees should be taken. And social services will constantly keep their eye on the new family.
The expert believes that it would be appropriate to make the process of supervision over the families with the adopted children easier. “Because if the citizen manages to go through this adoption process, then it means that the state actually trusts him. And to be under the watchful eye of the social services is not a very proper thing, I believe. I.e. the control process can’t be fully abandoned, but it shouldn’t be that frequent and careful”, - shared Sviatlana Matskevich her opinion.
At the same time, when the adoption is carried out by the foreign citizens, then neither the state nor the social services can trace how the life of the child is going on in a new family. And it is with this question that more bulky adoption procedure for the foreign citizens is connected with, marked Sviatlana Matskevich.