Botswana accedes to the Child Abduction, Adoption and Child Support Conventions
Today, 14 November 2022, the Republic of Botswana deposited its instrument of accession to the Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (Child Abduction Convention), the Convention of 29 May 1993 on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Adoption Convention), and the Convention of 23 November 2007 on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance (Child Support Convention).
The ceremony was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the Depositary of the HCCH Conventions. Botswana was represented by Ms Tebatso Baleseng, Chargée d’affaires a.i., and Ms Boineelo Shole, First Secretary (Political and Consular), from the Embassy of Botswana. The Depositary was represented by Mr Jules van Eijndhoven, Head of the Treaties Division, Mr Rieks Boekholt, Legal Officer, and Ms Evelin Durieux, Senior Policy Officer Southern and East Africa, while the Permanent Bureau of the HCCH was represented by Mr Philippe Lortie, First Secretary, and Ms Laura Martínez-Mora, Secretary.
With the accession of Botswana, the Child Abduction Convention now has 103 Contracting Parties. It will enter into force for Botswana on 1 February 2023. For the Adoption Convention, with the accession of Botswana it now has 105 Contracting Parties. The Convention will enter into force for Botswana on 1 March 2023. Finally, following the accession of Botswana 45 States and the European Union are bound by the Child Support Convention. It will enter into force for Botswana on 16 November 2023.
More information on these Conventions is available on the Child Abduction Section, the Adoption Section, and the Child Support Section of the HCCH website.
Although not yet a Member of the HCCH, Botswana is now a Contracting Party to six HCCH Conventions.