This notice replaces the notice of November 9, 2006

March 30, 2007

The current procedures for processing international adoptions in Azerbaijan remain unclear due to recent changes in the governing legislation and responsible authority. In late December 2006, the adoption process in Azerbaijan essentially stopped due to the publication of amended laws meant to bring domestic legislation into conformity with the Hague Convention. In March 2007, the State Committee for Family, Women and Children’s Issues was named the new governing authority, replacing the State Adoption Commission. No further information on the Committee’s activities with respect to international adoption is available at this time. The procedure and timetable for completing already pending cases, i.e. those begun under the former legislative framework, is also not yet known. The Embassy has engaged the Azerbaijani government on this issue at all levels, and continues to seek clarification about the future of international adoptions given the recent legal changes.

Since the previous suspension of international adoptions in Azerbaijan in March 2004, the Embassy has consistently encouraged international adoption as a viable option when domestic adoption is not possible for an Azerbaijani child. Given the circumstances, however, the Department of State urges all U.S. citizens considering the possibility of adopting in Azerbaijan to weigh very carefully the current and past, serious and recurring difficulties. Although adoptions remain technically open, the future of international adoptions in Azerbaijan remains uncertain. A number of U.S. adoption service providers have decided already that the situation is in too much a state of flux for them to operate comfortably. The latest legislative changes have not improved the situation. There are not only no guarantees that adoptions will be achieved on a regular basis and in a transparent manner, but also no assurances that currently pending adoptions will be processed expeditiously.