III 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 502 

Concerning the suspension of exit permit issuance by the Government of 

the Democratic Republic of Congo for adopted Congolese children seeking 

to depart the country with their adoptive parents. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 15, 2014 

Mr. PORTMAN (for himself, Ms. LANDRIEU, Mr. ALEXANDER, Ms. AYOTTE, 

Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. BARRASSO, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. BLUNT, Mr. 

BOOZMAN, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. BROWN, Mr. BURR, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. 

CHAMBLISS, Mr. COATS, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. CORKER, Mr. CORNYN, Mr. 

CRAPO, Mr. CRUZ, Mr. DONNELLY, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. ENZI, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mrs. FISCHER, Mr. FRANKEN, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Mr. GRASSLEY, 

Mrs. HAGAN, Mr. HARKIN, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. JOHANNS, Mr. JOHNSON

of Wisconsin, Mr. KING, Mr. KIRK, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. 

MARKEY, Mrs. MCCASKILL, Mr. MCCAIN, Mr. MCCONNELL, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. MORAN, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Mr. MURPHY, Mr. PAUL, Mr. RUBIO, 

Ms. STABENOW, Mr. TESTER, Mr. THUNE, Mr. VITTER, Mr. WALSH, Mr. 

WARNER, Ms. WARREN, and Mr. WICKER) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Concerning the suspension of exit permit issuance by the 

Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo for 

adopted Congolese children seeking to depart the country 

with their adoptive parents. 

Whereas according to UNICEF, over 4,000,000 orphans are 

estimated to be living in the Democratic Republic of 

Congo; 


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•SRES 502 IS 

Whereas cyclical and violent conflict has plagued the Democratic Republic of Congo since the mid-1990s; 

Whereas the United States has made significant financial investments in the Democratic Republic of Congo, providing an estimated $274,000,000 bilateral aid to the 

Democratic Republic of Congo in fiscal year 2013 and an 

additional $165,000,000 in emergency humanitarian assistance; 

Whereas the policy of the United States Government toward 

the Democratic Republic of Congo is ‘‘focused on helping 

the country become a nation that . . . provides for the 

basic needs of its citizens’’; 

Whereas the United Nations, the Hague Conference on Private International Law, and other international organizations have recognized a child’s right to a family as a 

basic human right worthy of protection; 

Whereas adoption, both domestic and international, is an important child protection tool and an integral part of child 

welfare best practices around the world, along with family reunification and prevention of abandonment; 

Whereas, on September 27, 2013, the Congolese Ministry of 

Interior and Security, General Direction of Migration, informed the United States Embassy in Kinshasa that effective September 25, 2013, they had suspended issuance 

of exit permits to adopted Congolese children seeking to 

depart the country with their adoptive parents; 

Whereas there are United States families with finalized adoptions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the 

necessary legal paperwork and visas ready to travel home 

with these children but are currently unable to do so; and 


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•SRES 502 IS 

Whereas, on December 19, 2013, the Congolese Minister of 

Justice, Minister of Interior and Security, and the General Direction of Migration confirmed to members of the 

United States Department of State that the current suspension on the issuance of exit permits continues: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) affirms that all children deserve a safe, lov3 ing, and permanent family; 

4 (2) recognizes the importance of ensuring that 

5 international adoptions of all children are conducted 

6 in an ethical and transparent manner; 

7 (3) expresses concern over the impact on chil8 dren and families caused by the current suspension 

9 of exit permit issuance within the Democratic Re10 public of Congo; 

11 (4) respectfully requests that the Government 

12 of the Democratic Republic of Congo— 

13 (A) resume processing adoption cases and 

14 issuing exit permits via the Ministry of Gender 

15 and Family’s Interministerial Adoption Com16 mittee and Directorate of General Migration; 

17 (B) prioritize the processing of inter18 country adoptions which were initiated before 

19 the suspension; and 


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1 (C) expedite the processing of those adop2 tions which involve medically fragile children; 

3 and 

4 (5) encourages continued dialogue and coopera5 tion between the United States Department of State 

6 and the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Min7 istry of Foreign Affairs to improve the intercountry 

8 adoption process and ensure the welfare of all chil9 dren adopted from the Democratic Republic of 

10 Congo. 

Æ 


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