Double Subsidiarity Principle and the Right to Identity

Our Position Paper ‘Double Subsidiarity Principle and the Right to Identity’ is essential to our Research Paper ‘Raising Awareness about False Birth Registration Practices, known as the Brazil Baby Affair’. Originally it was a textbox part of our contribution to ISS’ handbook ‘Responding to Illegal Adoptions’.

However, International Social Services (ISS) has rejected the textbox, declined it for publication in the handbook ‘Responding to Illegal Adoptions’ and thereby de facto censored our Position Paper ‘Double Subsidiarity Principle and the Right to Identity’.

Before publication, ISS refused to provide any written explanation on this matter. Subsequently, the original reference to our Position Paper, which was left after ISS’ censorship, was removed from our Research Paper, without authorization, and banned to a footnote.

After publication, ISS has been informed that we have publicly shared our concerns regarding their controversial institutional stance – forming the reason for their censoring – disregarding the subsidiarity principle of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in Intercountry Adoption (ICA) cases.

The UNCRC forms the international human rights framework for ICA. Disrespecting the UNCRC potentially endangers children to being trafficked for ICA.

Note (28 May 2016): ISS is invited to comment on this matter. Their response (6 June 2016) is published here: ISS principle of double subsidiarity