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02/09/11 -Federal Register Notice
Read about the latest Federal Register notice
01/13/11 - Japan and International Parental Child Abduction
Read about how the U.S. Government is urging Japan to accede to the Hague Convention, seeking the return of abducted children to the United States, and facilitating meaningful access of both parents to the abducted child.
12/13/2010 - Extension of Deadline for Statements of Interest from Organizations Wishing to Partner with Department of State's International Family Mediation Referral Program to January 28, 2011
The Office of Children’s Issues (CI) at the Department of State is the Central Authority for the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (the Convention). As the U.S. Central Authority, the Department works to prevent the damaging effects of international parental kidnapping on children and families. One tool that may be helpful for parents seeking to maintain access with their children who have been taken to another country is mediation. In 2009, the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HPB), and representatives from countries that are parties to the Convention, as well as countries not party to the Convention, formed a Working Party to try to promote cross-border family mediation. This Working Party recently drafted a set of principles intended to guide the development of specialized family mediation structures in our respective jurisdictions. (link to principals).The Department is attempting to identify one or more organizations (e.g., NGOs, mediation associations, university programs) that would be willing to operate a mediation referral program that follows the guidance of the “principles.” Essentially, we hope to find one or more organizations able to specialize in cross-border family mediation that would accept referrals for mediation from the Department. It is our expectation that such an organization would:

 

  • Screen the cases
  • Recruit and maintain a current list of skilled mediators qualified to practice in different areas of the country
  • Provide specialized training to mediators
  • Match parents with trained mediators
  • Track, evaluate, and report on cases
  • Act as a resource on family law and mediation questions in general
  • Keep up with best practices in the field, and
  • Share statistics and information with the U.S. Central Authority. 


The Department cannot provide funding for this project. However, we could provide minimal technical assistance to a partner organization, such as contributing training materials, putting links on our website, and answering questions on the Convention and the role of the Central Authority.

 

Anyone interested in working as a resource for the Department's program on international family abduction mediation should send a statement of interest describing how their organization is able to meet the Department’s goals to CIMediation@state.gov before January 28, 2011.

 

We hope to get proposals that include the following information:

 

• Organization’s experience with international family mediation

• Organization’s resources (electronic capabilities for data management, handling international calls, Skype, etc.)

• Number of staff available to do administrative work (contacting parents and mediators, scheduling calls, etc.)

• Translation and/or language capabilities

• Mediation model used

• Mediator training resources

• Geographic range (states in the U.S.) where your organization practices

 

Again, we hope that you will share this notice with any organization that may be an appropriate partner for this effort.

 

More information is available on our web site at http://www.travel.state.gov/abduction. Look at What’s New.


07/01/2010 - Secretary Clinton Designates Special Advisor for International Children's Issues
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is pleased to announce the appointment of Ambassador Susan S. Jacobs as Special Advisor to the Office of Children’s Issues. A long-time advocate for children, Secretary Clinton has created this new foreign policy position to address intercountry adoption and international parental child abduction. In her work on these important issues, Special Advisor Jacobs will actively engage with foreign government officials to protect the welfare and interests of children. View full media note .
05/21/2010 - The Department Delivers the 2010 Compliance Report to Congress

The Department Delivers the 2010 Compliance Report to Congress On May 21, 2010 the Department delivered to Congress the 2010 Report on Compliance with the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. The Secretary of State is required by U.S. law to report annually to Congress on compliance with the Hague Abduction Convention by states party to the Convention (the specific legal requirements can be found at 42 USC § 11611). The report just released covers the period from October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009. It focuses on countries that have demonstrated significant problems in processing convention applications for the return of children to the United States in a manner consistent with the Convention. Additionally, the report details the Department’s efforts to resolve longstanding cases for return brought under the Convention. It also contains global case number statistics.

05/21/09 - Symposium Held on Japan and International Parental Child Abduction

The United States Embassy in Tokyo sponsored a day-long Symposium on International Parental Child Abduction and Japan at the Tokyo American Center on May 21, 2009. During the event, a panel of legal experts discussed the challenges in resolving international child abduction cases under Japanese family law. Michele Bond, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State (DAS) for Overseas Citizens Services in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, participated as a panelist and gave a speech at the symposium. Following the symposium, the U.S. Embassy, in conjunction with the Embassies of Canada, France, and the United Kingdom, issued a joint press statement expressing the four nations’ concern regarding the issue and calling on Japan to join the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.

05/06/2008 - The Department Delivers the 2008 Compliance Report to Congress

On May 6, 2008 the Department delivered to Congress the 2008 Report on Compliance with the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. The Secretary of State is required by U.S. law to report annually to Congress on compliance with the Hague Abduction Convention by states party to the Convention (the specific legal requirements can be found at 42 USC § 11611). The report just released covers the period from October 1, 2006 through September 30, 2007. It focuses on countries that have demonstrated significant problems in processing convention applications for the return of children to the United States in a manner consistent with the Convention.

02/07/2008 - Office of Children’s Issues to Handle Incoming Hague Abduction Convention Cases Beginning April 1, 2008

Beginning April 1, 2008, the Office of Children’s Issues will assume the handling of all “incoming” cases under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of Parental Child Abduction – that is, abductions of children from foreign countries to the United States. Incoming cases were previously handled by the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The Department of State has greatly appreciated the excellent service that NCMEC has provided in these cases to parents and children. The Office of Children’s Issues aims to continue this high level of service.

Effective April 1, 2008, parents in Convention countries whose children have been wrongfully removed to the United States—or wrongfully retained in the United States—should file an application for return or access with our office. Contact our office for more information.

02/01/2008 - Law Modified that Requires the Signature of Both Parents Prior to Issuance of a U.S. Passport to Children

Effective February 1, 2008, passport applicants who are U.S. citizen minors under the age of 16 must appear personally with both parents, or legal guardians, to establish consent of both parents to issuance of a passport, as well as identity, proof of citizenship, and proof of relationship.  Previously this rule applied only to children under the age of 14.  For more information about how to apply for a U.S. passport for children under the age of 16, please view this fact sheet. 

01/01/2008 - The Convention Enters into Force with Five Additional Countries: Costa Rica, Guatemala, Paraguay, San Marino, and Sri Lanka

On January 1, 2008, the 1980 Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction entered into force between the United States and Costa Rica, Guatemala, Paraguay, San Marino, and Sri Lanka.  The United States now partners with 68 countries under the Convention.  The Convention will not apply to parental child abduction cases between the U.S. and these countries that took place prior to January 1, 2008.  Wrongful retentions or removals that occurred after January 1, 2008 may qualify to be Hague Abduction Convention cases. 

09/01/2007 - Ukraine Becomes the Newest Convention partner

The Department of State recently announced that it would accept the accession of Ukraine to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.  Ukraine becomes the 63rd country that is partner to the Convention with the United States.  The Convention entered into force between the United States and Ukraine on September 1, 2007.  Parents whose children have been wrongfully removed/retained between the United States and Ukraine on or after that date will be able to file a Hague application for return of their child (as long as all the Convention requirements are met).

06/01/2007 - The Convention Enters Into Force with the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Peru

On June 1, 2007, the 1980 Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction entered into force between the United States and the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Peru.  They become the 60th, 61st, and 62nd countries that the United States partners with under the Convention.  The Convention will not apply to parental child abduction cases between the U.S. and these countries that took place prior to June 1, 2007.  Wrongful retentions or removals that occurred after June 1 may qualify to be Hague Abduction Convention cases. 

05/02/2007 - The Department Delivers the 2007 Compliance Report to Congress

On May 2, 2007 the Department forwarded to Congress the 2007 Report on Compliance with the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction .  The Secretary of State is required by U.S. law to report annually to Congress on compliance with the Hague Abduction Convention by states party to the Convention (the specific legal requirements can be found at 42 USC § 11611).  The report just released covers the period from October 1, 2005 through September 30, 2006.  It focuses on countries that have demonstrated significant problems in processing convention applications for the return of children to the United States in a manner consistent with the Convention.

05/01/2007 - The United States Accepts Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania as Convention Partners  

The Department of State recently informed the Hague Permanent Bureau that it is accepting the respective accessions of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to the 1980 Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.  The Convention enters into force between the United States and each of the three nations on May 1, 2007.  With the acceptance of the three Baltic States, the United States now partners with 59 countries under the Hague Abduction Convention.

03/01/2007 - Montenegro Succeeds to the Hague Abduction Convention

On March 1, 2007, Montenegro became the 67th Member of the Hague Conference on Private International Law.  On this same date, Montenegro also succeeded to various Hague Conventions to which the former Serbia and Montenegro was already a Party, including the 1980 Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.  Since the Convention was already in force between the United States and the former Serbia and Montenegro (as it had been with the former Republic of Yugoslavia) the Convention is in force between the U.S. and Montenegro.  Montenegro becomes the 56th country that is party to the Convention with the United States.