Lynelle Long is a Vietnamese adoptee, born in the early 1970s, raised in Australia and founder of InterCountry Adoptee Voices (ICAV). Her network is a space for critical thinking that defends the needs and rights of intercountry adoptees. ICAV is and is one of the adoptee led spaces that elevates and highlights the views and experiences of many adoptees from around the world, regardless of birth or adoptive country – providing a much needed global perspective.
She has been a consultant to central authorities and post adoption organisations globally on intercountry adoption, is the author and contributor to books, papers, and video resources on intercountry adoption; she initiates and coordinates meetings with adult intercountry adoptees and government authorities, participates as an Observer at The Hague Working Groups on topics of Illegal Adoptions and Financial Aspects and facilitated 8 adoptee leaders from around the world to speak at the 2022 Special Commission Meetings. In 2022 and 2023, Lynelle represented adoptees with illegal and illicit adoptions at the United Nations, contributed to their UN Joint Statement on Illegal Intercountry Adoptions and brought together for the first time, the voices of biological families to the international community at the UN’s 1st Year Anniversary event in Sept this year.
Lynelle is also a member of the Interparliamentary Taskforce on Human Trafficking Working Group on Orphanage Trafficking where IPU General Assembly adopted the resolution on orphanage trafficking which included illegal intercountry adoptions in Oct 2023. Lynelle is also a member of the Survivor Led Adult College for the Australian National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse.
