Pre-registration for the Forum on Domestic Violence and the Operation of Article 13(1)(b) of the 1980 Child Abduction Convention now open for all interested delegates and experts
The Permanent Bureau is pleased to announce that the Forum on Domestic Violence and the Operation of Article 13(1)(b) of the 1980 Child Abduction Convention (Forum) will be held in Sandton, South Africa, from Tuesday 18 to Friday 21 June 2024 (see C&D No 31 of the 2024 CGAP meeting). While in-person participation is strongly encouraged, passive online participation (listening only) will be possible
The Forum is not only open to delegates from Members and non-Member Contracting Parties (both these groups have received a separate communication regarding the Forum, including on the registration process), but also to other interested experts and parties, including judicial officers, legal practitioners, advocates for victims of domestic violence and left-behind parents, academic researchers, psychologists, and other subject-matter experts. A balanced and diverse participation in the Forum from all relevant actors will be ensured. The Forum is intended to provide an informal setting in which participants can engage in an open, respectful and constructive dialogue on return proceedings where domestic violence is raised as a defense to the return of the child under Article 13(1)(b) of the 1980 Child Abduction Convention.
Registration of all interested delegates and experts will occur in two stages, commencing with pre-registration by e-mail. Pre-registration will be open until 19 April 2024, 5.00 p.m. (CEST). Interested participants should pre-register by sending an email to secretariat@hcch.net, indicating their name, function, affiliation and e-mail address. The following subject line should be used: “Pre-registration for Forum DV 1980 Convention - [name - affiliation]”. The message should specify whether the interested participant intends to attend the Forum in person or online.
The final composition of the Forum’s participants, in particular as regards in-person attendance, will be determined by reference to geographical balance, a mix of legal system traditions, and a broad and balanced range of expertise among attendees.
The PB will make its best efforts to confirm participation as soon as possible after the deadline for pre-registration. Participation in the Forum is free of charge. However, participants are required to make their own travel and hotel arrangements. More information (including on the programme of the Forum) will follow in due course.