US sees serious flaw in Japan’s implementation of Hague Treaty

April 12, 2018

Washington- The United States sees "a serious flaw" in Japan's implementation of the Hague treaty to settle cross-border parental child abduction cases, a senior State Department official said Wednesday.

When a taking parent refuses to comply with a return ordered under the treaty, "Japanese authorities have very limited means to enforce the order," Suzanne Lawrence, special adviser for children's issues, said in a written statement at a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on global human rights.

"This is unacceptable and I am deeply concerned that, as a result, there is a pattern of Japan not complying with its obligations" under the treaty, she said.

Lawrence also said many positive developments have been made in Japan since the treaty came into force in the country in 2014. The treaty stipulates procedures for settling child custody disputes arising from the breakup of international marriages.

She said the number of new reported abductions to Japan declined 46 pct in the three years compared with the previous three years.

"Japan made significant efforts to educate its citizens and government officials to prevent abductions. We have also seen a significant improvement in the resolution of abduction cases," she said.

The department will soon announce an annual list of countries that could be hit with sanctions over parental child abductions.

The previous year's list did not include Japan. "If Japan isn't put on the noncompliant list this year, I can't tell you how egregious that will be," Chris Smith, chairman of the subcommittee, said at the hearing. Jiji Press