The review of the literature was undertaken to provide a foundation for the examination of the policies and practice of international adoption in Canada in the context of how it has been understood, accepted, or challenged. [...] Act Multiculturalism Act The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Sending Country Canada The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoptions THE STRUCTURE OF THE PAPER After a brief history of international adoption, the paper will introduce the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and will illustrate, through the literature, the issues related to international adoption and [...] Through the literature, the paper will provide insight into the relationship between the sending countries (where the children originate) and the receiving countries (the nations into which the children are adopted, and in this paper, Canada) and how the Hague Convention intersects with the laws of relevant nations. [...] Page 4 A comparison of the UNCRC and the Hague Convention will be highlighted and will set the stage for a further comparison in the next section of the paper that addresses the disparity between the commitments Canada has made to children through their ratification of both the UNCRC and the Hague Convention and the Canadian legislation that impacts internationally adopted children. [...] Among the outcomes of that gathering was the development of a series of principles, and first among these was the importance of protecting the best interests of the child, as opposed to meeting the needs of the adult or nation.