- India is NOT a signatory of the convention.
- US is pressurising India to sign the convention.
What is the Convention?
- The Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction is a multilateral treaty, which seeks to protect children from the harmful effects of abduction and retention across international boundaries by providing a procedure to bring about their prompt return.
Why doesn’t India want to sign the Convention?
- A committee was formed to look over the matter.
- The criterion of habitual residence of the child, which is used to determine whether the child was — wrongfully removed by a parent as well as to seek the return of the child to the country of habitual residence, was not in the best interest of the child.
- A separate Child Removal Disputes Resolution Authority is to be formed to act as a Nodal Agency as per the convention, but India is contemplating assigning the National Commission for Protection of Children the responsibility.