The Dominican Republic is now a party to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.

On June 1, 2007, the 1980 Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction entered into force between the United States and the Dominican Republic.  The Convention will not apply to parental child abduction cases between the U.S. and the Dominican Republic that took place prior to June 1, 2007.  Wrongful retentions or removals that occurred after June 1 may qualify to be Hague Abduction Convention cases. 

The Convention cannot be applied retroactively.  The Dominican Republic’s accession to the treaty is an important step that will improve the possibility of resolving future abduction cases.

In general, the Convention has two main provisions:  to secure the prompt return of children wrongfully removed to or retained in any signatory country; and to ensure that the rights of parents for custody and access to their children under the law of one signatory country are respected in other signatory countries.