The Inter-American Convention on the International Return of Children is a treaty of the Organization of American States and was adopted at Montevideo, Uruguay on July, 15 1989 at the Fourth Inter-American Specialized Conference On Private International Law. It's entry into force was November 4, 1994.[1]
The Convention begins by broadly describing its intent in Article 1:
The purpose of this Convention is to secure the prompt return of children habitually resident in one State Party who have been wrongfully removed from any State to a State Party or who, having been lawfully removed, have been wrongfully retained. This Convention further seeks to secure enforcement of visitation and custody rights of parties entitled to them.[2]
Over half of the 35 Member States of the Organisation of American States are party to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, and over a third of Member States are also party to the Inter-American Convention on the International Return of Children. When a State is party to both Conventions, Article 34 of the Inter-American Convention assigns priority to the Inter-American Convention over the Hague Abduction Convention unless otherwise agreed upon between the States individually.[3]