S.I. No. 123/1997:

CHILD ABDUCTION AND ENFORCEMENT OF CUSTODY ORDERS ACT, 1991 (CONTRACTING STATES) (HAGUE CONVENTION) ORDER, 1997

CHILD ABDUCTION AND ENFORCEMENT OF CUSTODY ORDERS ACT, 1991 (CONTRACTING STATES) (HAGUE CONVENTION) ORDER, 1997

WHEREAS Part II of the Child Abduction and Enforcement of Custody Orders Act, 1991 , enables effect to be given to the Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction signed at The Hague on the 25th day of October, 1980;

AND WHEREAS it is desired to apply the provisions of that Part to secure the prompt return of children wrongfully removed to or retained in any Contracting State, and to ensure that rights of custody and access under the law of one Contracting State are effectively respected in the other Contracting States;

AND WHEREAS section 4(1) of the Act provides for that purpose that the Minister for Foreign Affairs may by order declare that any state specified in the order is a Contracting State for the purposes of the said Part II;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Dick Spring, Minister for Foreign Affairs, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 4 (1) of the Child Abduction and Enforcement of Custody Orders Act, 1991 (No. 6 of 1991), hereby order as follows:

1. This Order may be cited as the Child Abduction and Enforcement of Custody Orders Act, 1991 (Contracting States) (Hague Convention) Order, 1997.

2. The following States are hereby declared to be Contracting States for the purposes of Part II of the Child Abduction and Enforcement of Custody Orders Act, 1991 :

Republic of Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belize, Republic of Bosnia & Herzegovina, Burkina-Faso, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Republic of Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Honduras, Republic of Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Republic of Mauritius, Mexico, Principality of Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Republic of Panama, Republic of Poland, Portugal, Romania, Republic of Slovenia, Spain, St Kitts & Nevis, Sweden, Switzerland, united Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Republic of Venezuela, Republic of Zimbabwe.

3. This Order shall come into operation on the 13th day of March, 1997.

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 11th day of March, 1997.

DICK SPRING,

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

The effect of this Order is to specify, in accordance with section 4 (1) of the Child Abduction and Enforcement of Custody Orders Act, 1991 (No. 6), states which are Contracting States for the purposes of the Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, 1980.