Second Forum on Domestic Violence and the 1980 Child Abduction Convention – with a focus on the Operation of Article 13(1)(b)
From 27 to 30 October 2025, the HCCH and the Government of Brazil co-hosted the Second Forum on Domestic Violence and the 1980 Child Abduction Convention – with a focus on the Operation of Article 13(1)(b) (see Conclusion and Decision No 26 of CGAP 2025) in Fortaleza. The Forum had almost 500 registered participants, of which over 150 in person, representing HCCH Members, non-Member Contracting Parties, intergovernmental organisations, non-governmental organisations, and independent experts.
The second Forum built on the discussions held during the first Forum, which took place in Sandton, South Africa, in June 2024. The second Forum once again brought together representatives from all relevant perspectives to deepen the open, informal dialogue on the operation of the Child Abduction Convention in cases involving domestic violence. This time, participants focused their discussions on practical solutions – identifying concrete and workable approaches to ensure the effective operation of the Convention, in particular Article 13(1)(b), in cases where domestic violence has been alleged.
The programme of the Forum, including the selection of speakers, was developed by a Steering Committee representative of the wide range of participating parties, which included advocates for victims of domestic violence and left-behind parents, judges, Central Authorities, legal practitioners, psychological experts, academic researchers and non-governmental organisations.
The Forum was divided into ten sessions covering different subjects and perspectives relevant to the intersection between the operation of the 1980 Convention and domestic violence. Each session consisted of a discussion by a panel of speakers with relevant expertise and / or experience followed by a Q&A session. At the start of the Forum, in Session 1, participants took stock of developments in the area within their various jurisdictions since the First Forum. Session 2 focused on raising awareness about the impact of wrongful removal / retention and of the impact of domestic violence on a child. In Sessions 3 and 4, speakers elaborated on the use of support, awareness raising, legal mechanisms and access to justice to prevent international child abductions in situations involving domestic violence. Sessions 5, 6 and 7 were devoted to discussions around assessing allegations of domestic violence and determining grave risk under Article 13(1)(b), obtaining evidence of domestic violence, and using protective measures (with references to the 1996 Child Protection Convention and other relevant mechanisms). Discussions in Session 8 explored the effects of return and non-return decisions. Towards the end of the Forum, a dedicated session reviewed references to the Guide to Good Practice on Article 13(1)(b) by courts in the five years since its publication and reflected on the possible need to update it. Finally, Session 10 consisted of an open discussion about lessons learned and next steps. The full programme can be found here.
The Permanent Bureau will prepare a Report that will reflect the contributions made during the Forum, to be shared in due course with all HCCH Members and Forum participants. It will neither contain Conclusions & Recommendations nor will it assess or otherwise comment on any statements made during the Forum. The Report will be discussed by the Members of the HCCH at the next meeting of its Council on General Affairs and Policy, in March 2026.
The Permanent Bureau of the HCCH is grateful to the Governments of Brazil, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom for their generous financial contribution to the organisation of the Forum.
More information on the First and Second Forums is available on the Child Abduction Section of the HCCH website.