KINGSTON, Jamaica — The High Commission of Canada has welcomed Jamaica’s joining of the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention.

The Convention came into force today, the first day of Child Month.
The formally titled "Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction" it is a multilateral treaty seeking to protect children under the age of 16 years from the harmful effects of their wrongful removal or retention.

According to a release from the Canadian High Commission, Jamaica deposited its instrument of accession and became the Convention’s 97th Contracting State on February 24, 2017.

The High Commission said Jamaica’s joining to the Convention is an important development in the global effort to address international parental child abduction.

It said Canada looks forward to the implementation of the Convention in Jamaica and stands ready to share its experience with the Government.