Declarations

Articles: 22,25

Denmark made the declaration provided for in Article 25 and the declaration provided for in Article 22, paragraph 4.

Denmark declared that the Convention, till further decision*, shall not apply to Greenland.

* On 28 January 2010, Denmark extended to Convention to Greenland. The Convention will enter into force for Greenland on 1 May 2010. 

On 22 October 1997, the depositary received a copy of a document from the Danish Ministry of Justice, which reads as follows:

"Appointments in accordance with the Hague Convention of May 29, 1993 on protection of children and co-operation in respect of intercountry adoption:

1. Central Authority
The Danish Ministry of Justice has been designated Central Authority, cf. Article 6, paragraph 1, and shall discharge the duties imposed by the Convention, in the absence of any provision to the contrary in the Danish statutes governing adoption.

2. Accredited bodies
Unless the adoption concerns a child who is a citizen of Finland, Iceland, Norway or Sweden, any application for adoption of a child residing in another Contracting State, cf. Article 14, must be filed with the organisations listed [see "Authorities"], which are authorised by the Danish Minister of Justice to provide adoption services (adoption agencies).

Otherwise, assistance in establishing contact between prospective adoptive parents and a child with a view to adoption and in completing an adoption (adoption services) may only be provided by the Danish Minister of Justice, the joint councils set up at county level by the Danish Minister of Justice, and the Danish Central Adoption Board.

(...)

Under Danish adoption law, accredited agencies shall also undertake the following tasks:
– to submit a report on the applicants to the Central Authority in the receiving State, cf. Article 15, paragraph 2;
– to receive a report on the child etc., cf. Article 16, paragraph 2;
– to take the necessary measures, cf. Articles 18-20.

Public authorities / competent authorities
A. Under Danish adoption law, the joint council for adoption – or the secretariat of the joint council – in the county in which the applicants reside shall perform the following tasks:
– the joint council for adoption shall determine whether the prospective adoptive parents are eligible and suited to adopt, cf. Article 5, sub-paragraph a;
– the secretariat of the joint council for adoption shall prepare a report on the applicants, cf. Article 15, paragraph 1;
– the joint council for adoption's approval of the matching proposals of the State of origin is required, cf. Article 17, sub-paragraph b;
– the joint council for adoption's approval is required before the adoption may proceed, cf. Article 17, sub-paragraph c;
– the secretariat of the joint council for adoption shall take the necessary measures, cf. Article 21.

If a joint council for adoption decides to withhold its consent, cf. Article 5, sub-paragraph a, and Article 17, sub-paragraphs b and c, the decision may be reversed by the Danish Central Adoption Board, which is a central, autonomous complaints board under the Danish Ministry of Justice.

B. The certificate referred to in Article 23, paragraph 1, stating that an adoption has been made in accordance with the Convention, is issued by the Governor's office in the county in which the applicants reside, in connection with the grant for adoption issued by the said office.