Laws regulating adoption are varied and complex in countries that offer children for international adoption (IA), while United States Immigration laws pose additional obstacles to Americans wishing to adopt foreign-born children. Declarations by the United Nations and the development of a convention on IA by the Hague Conference offer some hope…

Undertaken as the result of an International Council on Archives (ICA) recommendation to collect, disseminate, and keep updated a corpus of national standards relevant to records and archives management, this report is based on a survey for a proposed RAMP (Records and Archives Management Programme) study on national standards, the British…

Developing countries are becoming increasingly aware of the fact that specialized information is essential to their economic and social development, and that it is an indispensable factor in the rational use of natural resources, the development of human resources, scientific and technological advancement, and progress in agriculture, industry,…

This comparison of freedom of information legislation in Canada and the United States focuses on the concern evident in both to protect personal privacy. Specific criteria for achieving a balance between access and privacy are articulated. (CLB)

These hearings transcripts present testimony before a congressional committee comparing early childhood education and care in the United States with that of other industrialized countries, focusing on all arrangements for children under compulsory school age. The opening statement from the committee chair, Senator James Jeffords, notes the linkage…

This discussion of impending revisions to the Canadian Copyright Act focuses on the need for inclusion of a fair dealing provision in any revisions, defined either through legislation or the courts, and for the use of a random sampling of photocopying in libraries to establish blanket reprography fees. (Author/CLB)

The first of a series of hearings on child health issues was held in an effort to obtain a better understanding of the causes of the United States' low rank among industrial nations on indices of child health and prosperity and of models other nations use to improve children's health care, access to delivery systems, and cost containment. Contents…

This report develops a conceptual framework for considering policy options to improve access to Japanese and other foreign scientific and technical information. The rationales for and against a role for the federal government in accessing foreign technical information are detailed, and the stages in the process of information access are described.…

Describes the existing legislative environment shaping the U.S. federal government's approach to Japanese scientific and technical information, and compares this to the scientific and technical information infrastructure in Japan. Policy options for the United States are presented and evaluated, and recommendations for a federal information policy…

Describes the methods used by the Thatcher government to control publication of government information by the press and the recent attempt to prevent the publication of "Spycatcher" by former MI5 agent Peter Wright. The futility of government censorship and the need for guaranteed freedom of the press are also discussed. (113 notes with…

Describes the organizational structure of the research unit of the Parliamentary Library of Canada and lists a variety of services offered to Parliamentary members, committees, associations, and delegations. (CLB)

In May 2002, participants at the United Nations General Assembly's Special Session on Children committed to a set of specific goals for children and youth and a basic framework for meeting these goals. This report compiles the commitments that were part of the Special Session: (1) the Millennium Development Goals, earlier pledged to by all 189…

Examines developments in information technology that might endanger individual privacy and legislative responses to these threats by the English-speaking democracies, i.e., Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Guidelines for the responsible use of information technologies are proposed. (CLB)

Summarizes reports from six sessions of the 1990 seminar convened by the Federation for Information and Documentation (FID). Highlights include policies concerning the availability of information and access to it; information policy problems between industrialized and nonindustrialized countries; the future of FID; and new information technologies…

This report presents background information and statistical data on the problem of infant mortality. Contents include (1) a discussion of the causes of infant mortality; (2) data on infant mortality and low birth weight; and (3) information on federal programs affecting maternal and child health. Data tables depict infant mortality in terms of…