§9113 Bilateral Procedures, Including Memoranda of Understanding

Summary

Not later than 180 days after August 8, 2014, the Secretary of State must start making bilateral procedures or memoranda of understanding with countries that are unlikely to join the Hague Abduction Convention or with Convention countries that have unresolved abduction cases from before the Convention applied to either country. The Secretary must give priority to countries with many or serious abduction cases. The agreements should name the Central Authority (the office that handles these cases), the court or agency that will quickly decide abduction and access matters, and the law enforcement agencies that will help. They must explain how to enforce return orders right away, including finding the child, protecting the child, and arranging return. They must include a protocol to return a child within 6 weeks after the case is filed in the country where the child is, a protocol to protect interim contact rights while the case is pending, and a protocol for regular U.S. embassy or consular visits to check the child’s location and welfare.