Part II of the Special Commission on the Practical Operation of the Hague Abduction and Child Protection Conventions begins on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 and continues through January 31 in The Hague.  Rather than focusing primarily on the possibility of a protocol to the Abduction Convention, the meeting will focus on future work in three areas: enforceability of mediated agreements in the family law area, a legal basis for direct judicial communication, and the treatment of domestic violence issues within a return proceeding.  In addition to a draft agenda, the  Permanent Bureau has posted a useful discussion guide with the other preliminary documents for the meeting on its web site.