The Office of Children’s Issues in the State Department has issued a request for statements of interest from organizations that would be willing to operate a mediation referral program for cross-border family disputes following the “Malta Mediation Principles” established by the Hague Conference. The State Department does not have funding to support this project, but it can provide “minimal tech
United States Signs the Child Protection Convention
On October 22, the U.S. Ambassador to The Hague signed the 1996 Hague Convention on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforcement and Cooperation in Respect of Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children. Here’s an announcement of the signing from the U.S.
Senate Approves Child Support Convention
In the late hours last night before adjourning for its pre-election break, the Senate gave its advice and consent to ratification of the 2007 Hague Child Support Convention. Responding to an objection by Senator Jim DeMint, the resolution of ratification was amended to incorporate an additional understanding, which reads: “The United States is not a party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and understands that a mention of the Convention in the preamble of this Treaty does not create any obligations and does not affect or enhance the status of the Convention as a matter of the
House Resolution Calls on Japan to Address Child Abduction Cases
Before adjourning yesterday (until after the November elections), the House of Representatives approved House Resolution 1326, “Calling on the Government of Japan to address the urgent problem of abduction to and retention of United States citizen children in Japan, to work closely with the Government of the United States to return these children to their custodial parent or to the original jurisdiction for a custody determination in the United States, to provi
Congress Watch: Pending Legislation
As the U.S.
ECHR Ruling in Hague Abduction Case
Here’s an item posted by Jeremy Morley on his blog discussing a recent ruling of the European Court of Human Rights in a case under the Hague Child Abduction Convention. In Neulinger and Shuruk v.
Global Families in the ABA Journal
Here’s an article by G.M. Filisko in this month’s ABA Journal touching on international divorce, the Hague Children’s Conventions, and the Supreme Court’s decision in Abbott: “When Global Families Fail.”
Hague Special Commission on Intercountry Adoption
The third Special Commission on the practical operation of the 1993 Intercountry Adoption Convention concluded in The Hague on June 25. Delegations from 88 countries and a variety of nongovernmental organizations devoted eight days to discussing these issues; I attended the meetings as an observer from the International Society of Family Law.
2010 Hague Compliance Report
The State Department’s Office of Children’s Issues has published and posted its 2010 Report on Compliance with the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction for the period from October 1, 2008 to septemnber 30, 2009. According to the Report:
Commentary on the Abbott Decision
Blogposts on the Supreme Court’s ruling in Abbott last week:
Charels Kotuby (ConflictofLaws.net): “Abbott v. Abbott: A Ne Exeat Right is a ‘Right of Custody’ Under the Hague Abduction Convention.”