The convention was signed in the Hague on October 25, 1980.
It mandates immediate return of any child wrongfully removed to any of the contracting states, or wrongfully retained in any such state, and also guarantees that custody and access rights under the law of one contacting state are observed in other contracting states.
By joining the convention, Russia will obtain greater guarantees at international level of the rights of children and their parents (or other lawful representatives) who are Russian citizens in settling disputes concerning wrongful removal or retention of children. It will also create an effective legal mechanism for Russia’s cooperation with other countries on settling matters involving the return to Russia of children who are Russian citizens and have been wrongfully removed or retained in foreign countries.
Russia’s adherence to the convention is being carried out in line with the agreements reached at the December 2010 Russia-EU summit in Brussels.