WASHINGTON, CMC – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) says Guyana has joined several countries, including some in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), in the passage of the International Measures for the Protection of Children (Hague Convention) Act 2025.
The principal and autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS) said the country has joined the fellow CARICOM states of Barbados and Belize, as well as Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay in ratifying the agreement.
It said that in 2025, the Convention entered into force for El Salvador, and will soon enter into force in Belize on October 1 this year.
The new law aims to incorporate into domestic law the 1996 Hague Convention on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforcement and Cooperation in Respect of Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children.
“The passage of this legislation reflects the State’s commitment to strengthening international legal cooperation and ensuring effective protection for children in cross-border contexts, such as in situations of custody, visitation, intercountry adoptions, and other protection measures,” the IACHR said in a statement.
It said this law empowers the minister responsible for children’s services to establish a central authority for receiving and processing requests for international legal cooperation related to child protection, ensuring direct communication with authorities in other countries, and promoting the speedy enforcement of foreign decisions related to custody and visitation, which reduces bureaucratic obstacles and provides greater protection for children.
It also internalises rules to determine which court should decide on custody and protection cases and which legislation governs the process, which avoids conflicts of jurisdiction and provides greater predictability and legal certainty to the families involved.
The IACHR said that the 1996 Hague Convention is a relevant international instrument that aims to ensure the adequate protection of the rights of children in cross-border contexts, such as custody disputes, intercountry adoptions, and the definition of parental responsibilities.
It establishes clear criteria for determining the applicable law and the competent judge to decide on protection measures, ensuring legal certainty and uniformity in the application of the rules.
“Likewise, it promotes direct international cooperation between designated central authorities, reducing bureaucracy and speeding up judicial and administrative procedures, in line with the principle of the best interests of the child, which demands quick and effective responses to safeguard their rights.”
The IACHR said that these steps indicate significant progress in the universalization of the Convention in the Americas, adding that, in this sense, the IACHR welcomes the progress made by Argentina, Canada, and the United States, that have signed the Convention, and encourages them to continue with their internal procedures with a view to its prompt ratification.
“The protection of children is at the core of the 1996 Hague Convention, whose ratification by OAS Member States contributes to promoting practical legal cooperation and expeditious mechanisms for the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments.
“This, in turn, helps reduce procedural obstacles and ensures greater legal predictability. Against this backdrop, the IACHR strongly urges other member states that have not yet done so to evaluate their adherence to this relevant legal instrument,” the IACHR said.
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