Welcome to the Child Abduction Section

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Introduction

The Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction is a multilateral treaty, which seeks to protect children from the harmful effects of abduction and retention across international boundaries by providing a procedure to bring about their prompt return. The "Child Abduction Section" provides information about the operation of the Convention and the work of the Hague Conference in monitoring its implementation and promoting international co-operation in the area of child abduction.

Please note that the Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference has no mandate to assist in individual abduction cases! If you have a question relating to international child abduction and your country is a Party to the 1980 Child Abduction Convention, please contact the Central Authority designated by your country.

Text of the Convention
- Translations
- Model Application Form for the return of wrongfully removed or retained children

Contracting States ("status table")
- UNMIK Regulation (Kosovo)

Central Authorities

Acceptances of accessions

Explanatory documents:	- Explanatory Report drawn up by Ms E. Pérez Vera - Preparatory work, published in the Actes et documents de la Quatorzième session (1980), tome III, Child abduction
Guides to Good Practice:	- Part I: Central Authority Practice - Part II: Implementing Measures - Part III: Preventive Measures - Part IV: Enforcement - Transfrontier Contact Concerning Children – General Principles and Guide to Good Practice - Mediation
Special Commission meetings on the practical operation of the Convention:	6th Special Commission meeting (2011-2012) - Conclusions and Recommendations of Parts I and II, and Report of Part II (April 2012) - Conclusions and Recommendations of Part II (January 2012) - Conclusions and Recommendations of Part I (June 2011) - Preliminary Documents / Information Documents Previous Special Commission meetings: - Conclusions and Recommendations: Special Commission of October-November 2006 Special Commission of September-October 2002 Special Commission of March 2001 Special Commission of October 1989 - Reports: Special Commission of October-November 2006 Special Commission of March 1997 Special Commission of January 1993 - Preliminary Documents
Country Profiles	- Information Document No 2 of March 2011 - Responses
Questionnaires and responses:	- Standard Questionnaire for newly acceding States \| Responses from States having acceded \| Responses from other States - 2010 Questionnaire concerning the practical operation of the Convention \| Responses - 2010 Questionnaire on the desirability and feasibility of a protocol to the Convention \| Responses - 2006 Questionnaire concerning the practical operation of the Convention \| Individual responses \| Collated responses - 2004 Questionnaire on the Enforcement of Return Orders under the Convention and of Access/Contact Orders \| Responses - 2003 Questionnaire on preventive measures \| Responses \| Compilation of responses \| Background document - 2002 Questionnaire concerning practical mechanisms for facilitating direct international judicial communications \| Responses - 2000 Questionnaire concerning the operation of the Convention \| Responses
The International Hague Network of Judges:	- Members of the International Hague Network of Judges
Judicial Communications:	- Conclusions and Recommendations of the Joint EC-HCCH Conference on Direct Judicial Communications on Family Law Matters and the Development of Judicial Networks, Brussels 15-16 January 2009 - Prel. Doc. No 8 of October 2006 - Report on judicial communications in relation to international child protection + Appendices - Prel. Doc. No 6 of August 2002 - Practical Mechanisms for Facilitating Direct International Judicial Communications in the context of the Hague Child Abduction Convention - Preliminary Report + Annexes
Cross-border family mediation:	- Guide to Good Practice under the Child Abduction Convention: Mediation - Working Party on Mediation in the context of the "Malta Process": Central Contact Points for international family mediation Principles for the Establishment of Mediation Structures in the context of the Malta Process [Arabic] Explanatory Memorandum on the Principles for the Establishment of Mediation Structures in the context of the Malta Process [Arabic] Questionnaire II \| Responses Questionnaire I \| Responses Discussion Forum (access restricted to members of the Working Party)
Judicial Seminars on the International Protection of Children:	- The "Malta Process" - Africa - Asia-Pacific - Latin America - Other Judicial Seminars
The Judges' Newsletter on International Child Protection:	The Judges' Newsletter on International Child Protection
HCCH International Family Law Briefings:	HCCH International Family Law Briefings
INCADAT - the International Child Abduction Database:	- The Database - Non-Hague Convention Child Abduction Home Page - Inter-American Child Abduction Home Page - INCADAT Correspondent Guide - Reporting forms to submit judicial cases decided under the 1980 Convention
iChild: the Electronic Case Management System for the Child Abduction Convention:	- Introduction - User Guide
INCASTAT: International Child Abduction Statistics:	- Information - Other statistics
The Latin American Section
Non-Hague Convention child abductions:	- Bilateral Agreements - Child Abduction and Transfrontier Access: Bilateral Conventions and Islamic States - a Research Paper (Prel. Doc. No 7 of August 2002) - INCADAT – Non-Hague Convention Abduction Section - The "Malta Process" - Volume VIII (Autumn 2004) of the Judges' Newsletter on International Child Protection [Arabic] - Transfrontier Contact Concerning Children - General Principles and Guide to Good Practice - Guide to Good Practice Part III: Preventive Measures
International Centre for Judicial Studies and Technical Assistance
Bibliography
Links to related websites