At a congressional hearing Thursday, the U.S. State Department will reveal its efforts to return to the U.S. more than 2,400 abducted American children and enforce the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.

    The hearing, to be held by Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), chairman of the House congressional panel that oversees international human rights, follows the emotional testimony at a May hearing of distraught ‘left-behind’ parents, who in most cases have never seen their children again after the abduction.

    Handling of child abduction cases by countries signatory to the treaty, as well as countries not signatory to the Hague (such as Japan), will be discussed. Japan, a top offender, is the only G-7 nation to not sign the treaty.  The Congress is not aware of any case where a Japanese court has issued and enforced an order to return an abducted child to the U.S. Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, the European Union, Spain, U.K. & France have all pressed Japan to sign the treaty, and act to allow visitation, communication and a framework, or memorandum of understanding, to resolve current cases.

Who:               Congressman Smith, Chairman of the human rights subcommittee on the Foreign Affairs Committee; other members of the committee; The Honorable Susan Jacobs, Special Advisor for Children's Issues, Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State; The Honorable Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State.

When:            Thursday, July 28 @ 2 p.m.

Where:            2172 Rayburn House Office Building on the first floor.