Section 193: Provision relating to Inter-country Adoption Board

1) The Government of Nepal may, by a notification in the Nepal Gazette, form an Inter-country Adoption Board so as to act as the central agency for the purpose of making recommendations for granting permission to a foreigner for adoption of a child pursuant to this Chapter or designate any government body to perform such function.

Explanation: For the purposes of this Chapter, the term “Board” means the Inter-country Adoption Board, and this term includes the government body designated to perform such function.

2) The Board referred to in sub-section (1) shall be so formed as to include one child right worker who has worked in the field of the rights of the child for at least fifteen years.

3) Other functions, powers and duties of the Board, in addition to those mentioned elsewhere in this Chapter, shall be as follows:

(a) To frame policies on inter-country adoption and recommend the same to the Government of Nepal,

(b) To make coordination between the various agencies on matters of inter-country adoption,

(c) To prevent undue financial and other advantages likely to be exchanged while giving or taking adoption,

(d) To make available any information required by the central adoption agencies or other relevant public agencies of other countries about the condition of adopted sons or daughters,

(e) To prevent child abuse, exploitation, trafficking or kidnapping likely to happen in effecting adoption and to protect Nepali children from any other practice likely to harm them,

(f) To make recommendations to the Government of Nepal to fix the charges applicable for adoption,

(g) To specify the form of application to be filed for adoption,

(h) To make arrangements for maintaining the confidentiality of records of the minors desirous to be adopted, their biological father and mother or adoptive father and mother,

(i) To carry out such other functions relating to inter-country adoption as may be required.

4) Other matters, including the procedures relating to the meeting of the Board, shall be as determined by the Board itself.