The Hague Convention is designed to protect the best interest of children and prevent the abduction, sale and trafficking of children.

The Convention came into force for the United Kingdom on 1 November 2012. It is directly effective as a matter of European law, meaning that its rules are automatically applicable and form part of domestic law in the same way as those of a European Regulation. Additional provision to facilitate the Convention’s operation in domestic law has been made in the Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children (International Obligations) (England and Wales and Northern Ireland) Regulations 2010 (“the 2010 Regulations”).

List of Contracting States:

On Friday 24 January 2014, Japan became a Contracting State to the Hague Convention. The Convention will enter into force for Japan on 1 April 2014. Japan's ratification of the Convention is indeed a milestone in the history of the Convention, which will provide a key tool to return children victims of cross-border abduction involving a Japanese parent.

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