About the Hague Convention

On July 1, 1988 the United States ratified the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (Hague Convention). As of September 1, 2007, the Convention is in effect between the U.S. and 63 other countries. The Hague Convention provides a civil legal mechanism for a parent to petition the court for the return of, or access to, his or her child. The Hague Convention requires each signatory country to establish a Central Authority to facilitate treaty implementation. The U.S. Department of State is the designated Central Authority for the United States.

Notice Regarding Incoming Central Authority Duties Previously Handled By NCMEC: Please note that on April 1, 2008, the Office of Children’s Issues in the Department of State reassumed U.S. Central Authority duties for processing incoming cases under the Hague Abduction Convention. 

Previously the Department of State had delegated its Central Authority duties for incoming cases to NCMEC under a three-way Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of Justice and the Department of State.  Note that while NCMEC no longer handles incoming Central Authority functions, it continues to provide technical assistance and resources to parents, law enforcement, and professionals involved in international child abduction matters.

For Central Authority matters, including the processing of Hague applications, as well as additional information and resources on international child abduction please see DOS’s website at: travel.state.gov/childabduction.