III 

Calendar No. 495 

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, Mr. WICKER, Ms. HEITKAMP, Mr. HOEVEN, 

Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. TOOMEY, Mr. HATCH, Mr. COCHRAN, and Mrs. SHAHEEN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

JULY 29, 2014 

Reported by Mr. MENENDEZ, with an amendment and an amendment to the 

preamble 

[Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[Strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic] 

RESOLUTION 

Concerning the suspension of exit permit issuance by the 


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•SRES 502 RS 

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; 

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 


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•SRES 502 RS 

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 

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 

Whereas according to UNICEF, over 4,000,000 orphans are estimated to be living in the Democratic Republic of Congo; 

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 that a child should grow up in a family 

environment; 

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


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•SRES 502 RS 

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 Directorate 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 

Whereas, on December 19, 2013, the Congolese Minister of Justice, Minister of Interior and Security, and the General 

Directorate 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; 


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•SRES 502 RS 

1 (4) respectfully requests that the Government 

2 of the Democratic Republic of Congo— 

3 (A) resume processing adoption cases and 

4 issuing exit permits via the Ministry of Gender 

5 and Family’s Interministerial Adoption Com6 mittee and Directorate of General Migration; 

7 (B) prioritize the processing of inter8 country adoptions which were initiated before 

9 the suspension; and 

10 (C) expedite the processing of those adop11 tions which involve medically fragile children; 

12 and 

13 (5) encourages continued dialogue and coopera14 tion between the United States Department of State 

15 and the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Min16 istry of Foreign Affairs to improve the intercountry 

17 adoption process and ensure the welfare of all chil18 dren adopted from the Democratic Republic of 

19 Congo. 

20 That the Senate— 

21 (1) affirms that all children deserve a safe, lov22 ing, and permanent family; 

23 (2) recognizes the importance of ensuring that 

24 international adoptions of all children are conducted 

25 in an ethical and transparent manner; 


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•SRES 502 RS 

1 (3) expresses concern over the impact on children 

2 and families caused by the current suspension of exit 

3 permit issuance within the Democratic Republic of 

4 Congo; 

5 (4) respectfully requests that the Government of 

6 the Democratic Republic of Congo— 

7 (A) resume processing adoption cases and 

8 issuing exit permits via the Ministry of Gender 

9 and Family’s Interministerial Adoption Com10 mittee and General Directorate of Migration; 

11 (B) prioritize the processing of intercountry 

12 adoptions which were initiated before the suspen13 sion; and 

14 (C) expedite the processing of those adop15 tions which involve medically fragile children; 

16 and 

17 (5) encourages continued dialogue and coopera18 tion between the United States Department of State 

19 and the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Ministry 

20 of Foreign Affairs to improve the intercountry adop21 tion process and ensure the welfare of all children 

22 adopted from the Democratic Republic of Congo. 


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Calendar No. 495 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 502 

RESOLUTION 

Concerning the suspension of exit permit issuance 

to depart the country with their adoptive parents. of Congo for adopted Congolese children seeking by the Government of the Democratic Republic 

JULY 29, 2014 

Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the 

preamble 


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