Orphanage tourism and the convention on the rights of the child.

Abstract

This chapter argues that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is a useful lens through which to view the adverse effects of orphanage tourism. The first section of this chapter provides an introduction to the contents of the CRC and the second section explains what orphanage tourism is. The third section considers how orphanage tourism interacts with the rights relating to family environment and alternative care contained in the CRC as well as the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children. Moreover, the extent and nature of how orphanage tourism incentivizes the unnecessary institutionalization of children in breach of their rights codified in the CRC is outlined. The fourth section applies CRC Articles on general wellbeing to the circumstances of institutionalized children, particularly children affected by orphanage tourism. Importantly, this section shows the extent to which orphanage tourism undermines fundamental rights contained in the CRC relating to a child's development and overall wellbeing. The fifth and final section considers how the CRC can be utilized to combat orphanage tourism.