Anales del XIX Congreso Panamericano del Niño

THE DIRECTING COUNCIL,

HAVING SEEN:

The annual report of the Inter-American Children’s Institute;

The 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child;

Resolution AG/RES.2028 (XXXIV-O/04), “Inter-American Program of Cooperation for the Prevention and Remedy of Cases of International Abduction of Children by one of Their Parents”, through which the General Assembly approves the Program –hereinafter “SIM Inter-American Cooperation Program”– as provided for in document AG/doc.4343/04;

The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction of 25 October 1980 and the Inter-American Convention on the International Return of Children of 15 July, 1989 –hereinafter “The Conventions”;

CONSIDERING:

That Resolution AG/RES.2028 (XXXIV-O/04) considered the need to implement the SIM Inter-American Cooperation program and therefore urged the OAS member states to promote its application and invited the Inter-American Children’s Institute to provide its technical support, particularly by coordinating its actions with the Central Authorities provided for in the Conventions;

ALSO CONSIDERING:

That the Plan of Action of the Third Summit of the Americas held in Québec, Canada, in April 2001, stated the willingness to strengthen cooperation in order to prevent and remedy cases of international abduction of children by one of their parents;

That the SIM Inter-American Cooperation Program provides for meetings of government experts to be held with the participation of the Central Authorities provided for in the Conventions.

RESOLVES:

To urge once again the member states to sign, ratify, accede or adhere the Conventions, as the case may be, and those states that are parties to the Conventions or to some of them, to appoint the corresponding Central Authorities and make them fully operational.

To request the Director General to invite the Central Authorities to a First Meeting to be held at the IIN headquarters in order to implement the SIM Inter-American Cooperation Program during the first half of 2005, subject to resource availability as per the IIN Program-Budget for that year.

To entrust the Director General to prepare the draft agenda of the First Meeting of Central Authorities scheduled as the starting point of the SIM Inter-American Cooperation Program and to circulate it for the consideration of member states.

To urge the member states to be represented at the above mentioned Meeting, particularly by their Central Authorities.

To request the IIN to invite the representatives from other international and regional organizations, as well as experts and involved civil society entities, to participate is this Meeting as observers.

To request the Director General to inform the Permanent Council in due time about the outcome of the First Meeting of Central Authorities for the implementation of the SIM Inter-American Cooperation Program, which should be also included in the report to the Thirty-fifth Regular Session of the General Assembly.