US And Trinidad And Tobago Sign Convention Regarding Abduction Of Children

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad CMC – The United States and Trinidad and Tobago have signed a treaty that will effectively afford “left-behind parents” the full remedies of the Hague Convention to resolve child abduction cases.

The Hague Abduction Convention treaty goes into effect from Thursday, according to a joint statement issued by the two countries, as a consequence of decades of close ties and geographical proximity; many citizens of the United States and Trinidad and Tobago have roots in both countries.

It said “many children have dual nationality, and parents of differing nationalities. At times, children also bear the brunt of the stress of separation or divorce.

“Split between two parents and two cultures, they may even be taken by one parent to a country they have never previously known, and without the permission of the other parent.

“By both countries becoming contracting partners under the Hague Convention, requests can be made for assistance from the Authority to expedite the necessary process through the courts to ensure the speedy return of the child wrongfully removed to or from the U.S. or Trinidad and Tobago.

The joint statement noted that “once the Hague Convention enters into force between the US and Trinidad and Tobago as Contracting States, left-behind parents would benefit from the additional force of this international Convention on parental abduction through the Civil Child Abduction Authority under the Ministry of Attorney General”.

The statement said that both countries held high level discussions in preparation for the convention coming into effect Attorney General, Anand Ramlogan, indicating that in keeping with the coalition government’s medium term policy “such a partnership with the US will improve Trinidad and Tobago’s diplomatic relations and highlights both countries’ commitment to child protection”.

In May, Washington declared its acceptance of Trinidad and Tobago’s accession to the convention which is a multilateral treaty developed in 1980 by the Hague Conference on private international law.

“It provides an expeditious method to return a child wrongfully taken from one member nation to another by a parent or guardian. Trinidad and Tobago became a party to the Hague Convention on September 1, 2000. Under the Convention the US recognizes 68 countries as partners whilst Trinidad and Tobago recognizes 47 countries,” the statement added.