The Hague Convention protects children and their families against the risks of illegal, irregular, premature or ill-prepared adoptions abroad. To do this, the Hague Convention puts: 

• safeguards in place to make sure that all inter-country adoptions are in the best interests of the child and respects their human rights, 
• a system in place of cooperation among countries to guarantee that these safeguards are respected, and to prevent the abduction of, sale of, or traffic in children. 

For Hague adoptions, the authorities in both countries must agree to go ahead with the adoption. For non-Hague adoptions, requirements may vary from one country to another. 

The Hague Convention does not allow private adoptions in the child’s home country. 

Source: The Hindu