On September 12, 2017, the Government of Rwanda’s Commission Nationale pour les Enfants (National Commission for Children or NCC) announced that the temporary suspension on intercountry adoption, in force since August 31, 2010, has been lifted. 

The Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-Country Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention) entered into force in Rwanda on July 1, 2012, but the suspension remained in place pending the establishment of a fully functional Convention process. The Government of Rwanda reports it is in the early stages of implementing the procedures and policies that will govern intercountry adoptions. The Department of State will post additional information as it becomes available, but the Rwandan government has not provided a timeline for the release of this information.

The NCC’s September 12 notice states that the Rwandan government is in the process of establishing a list of children considered adoptable under the provisions of Article 4 of the Hague Adoption Convention. There are currently no adoptable children on the list, and the NCC will provide updates to the list biannually.

Any questions may be addressed to Adoption@State.Gov.