Press Releases

Child Abduction and Custody Order Gazetted

The Child Abduction and Custody (Parties to Convention) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order made by the Chief Executive under Section 4 of the Child Abduction and Custody Ordinance was published in the Gazette today (Friday) for general information.

The Order seeks to update the list of Contracting States and Territories in the Schedule to the Child Abduction and Custody (Parties to Convention) Order, which enables the Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction come into force between the HKSAR and various states and territories. The new states and territories added in this exercise include Belgium, Montserrat, Bermuda, Macau, Belarus and Moldova.

"The Convention, which is now in force in some 50 countries, provides an effective international mechanism for ensuring the swift return of children wrongfully removed or retained in violation of custody rights to their place of habitual residence," a Government spokesman said. "The Convention has been extended to Hong Kong in 1997," he added.

The Order will come into operation on a date to be published in the Gazette.

End/Friday, December 3, 1999

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