Preventing exploitation, promoting equity: findings from the International Forum on Intercountry Adoption and Global Surrogacy 2014

Abstract

This article summarises the findings of the International Forum on Intercountry Adoption and Global Surrogacy that took place in The Hague over 11–13 August 2014. The Forum brought together 80 of the world's pre-eminent scholars, activists and policy-makers on international adoption and surrogacy to consider the most pressing issues in both fields and posit solutions for them. Participants identified concerns about commercialisation and exploitation, poverty and inequality, and subsidiarity determinations. They recommended better preservation of information, pre- and post-adoption and surrogacy support, implementation of subsidiarity, and accountability of agencies to ensure equity and rights for all involved in international adoption and surrogacy arrangements.