For the good of children

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) urges Ukraine to ratify the Hague Convention, which will make it possible to protect every child’s rights and will help reform the system of children care, said Yukie Mokuo, UNICEF representative in Ukraine, in an interview to the Associated Press and commented on the information in mass media about Elton John’s intention to adopt an HIV-positive orphan from Ukraine, reports Interfax citing UNICEF press service.

Mokuo emphasized that, according to the Hague Convention, close relatives and citizens of the same country are given a priority in adopting abandoned children. “It is important that any decision concerning children, including adoption, be made for the good of the children. The Hague Convention on International Adoptions promotes an ethic and transparent adoption process. UNICEF urges governments to follow the principles stated in the Convention,” said Mokuo.