Winding up its work on January 31,  the Special Commission  on the practical operation of the Hague Child Abduction and Child Protection Conventions, made a series of recommendations including these:

• An exploratory experts’ group should be convened to identify and address the legal and practical issues related to the recognition and enforcement of agreements arrived at by parents in cross border family disputes.
• A working group should be established composed of judges, Central Authorities and cross-disciplinary experts to consider the development of a practical reference tool to assist States in interpreting and implementing provisions of the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention, including situations in which domestic violence may be alleged.
• Work should continue on the Malta Process to increase co-operation between Contracting States and jurisdictions based on Sharia law so that the best interests of children are paramount in all States participating in the programme.

UPDATE: Conclustions and Recommendations from Part II of the Special Commission have been posted on the Hague Conference web site.