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Office of Children's Issues

Overseas Citizen Services

Bureau of Consular Affairs

Text Box: New Section on Access: For the first time, in this year's report we included a discussion specifically focused on issues related to custody and access. We note practices in some countries that tend to inhibit access by U.S. parents to their children as well as legal, administrative and cultural barriers to enforcement of court orders relating to custody and access. While the Hague Abduction Convention does not treat in depth many of the questions surrounding access, the Department of State recognizes the critical importance of children

Text Box: Annual Compliance Report: The Department recently forwarded to Congress its annual report on partner country compliance with the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. The report, required by the Congress, evaluates partner country effectiveness in implementing the Convention related to applications forwarded to them by parents in the U.S. for the return of or access to their children. As of September 30, 2003, the end of the official reporting period covered by the report, the United States had a treaty relationship under the Convention with 52 countries

Text Box: having meaningful access to both parents. It's on our Website: You can find the report on our Internet website beginning June 1st at travel.state.gov/children's_issues.html.

SA-29, 4th Floor

U.S. Department of State

Washington, DC 20520-2818

To Contact Us:

General Info: 1-888-407-4747

(M-F, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.)

Prevention Unit: 1-202-736-9156

Fax: 1-202-736-9133

Email: askci@state.gov

For the Parents

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