U.S. leans on Japan over Hague abduction treaty

[The Straight Story]

U.S. leans on Japan over Hague abduction treaty

WASHINGTON (Kyodo) The United States is increasing pressure on Japan to join a pact to deal with child custody issues linked to failed international marriages, according to an annual report recently issued by the U.S. State Department.

The report, delivered to Congress on May 21, assesses compliance by other countries with the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.

Japan is not a party to the convention, which provides a procedure for promptly returning abducted children to their habitual country of residence and protects parental access rights.

The annual report details U.S. efforts to raise public awareness of the issue, including a May 2009 seminar in Tokyo addressing the issue of children who are wrongfully taken from their home country by a parent.

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