Intercountry adoption, children's rights and the politics of rescue

In the preceding article, Peter Selman explores public and state responses to intercountry adoption in the immediate aftermath of the Haiti earthquake. Miranda Davies expands on this topic with a critique of the concept of the 'best interests of the child' as the legislative cornerstone governing intercountry adoption. Although the principle recognises children as having 'agency', the universality to which it aspires fails to account for the ambiguities involved in its application. This dilemma is exemplified by the politics of rescue, referring to the complex web of interests and relationships that lie behind the perceived altruism of 'rescuing' children from a life of poverty, often exacerbated by humanitarian emergencies, to one of wealth, security and opportunities overseas. Descriptions of the experience of intercountry adoptees broaden the debate by raising questions of racial politics, identity and belonging.