What is the Hague Convention?

The Hague Convention is an international treaty intended to deter international child abductions and to provide a mechanism for the return of abducted children.  The Hague Convention, however, only applies to contracting countries and its remedies are available only when a child is wrongfully removed from a signatory country and retained in another country that is also a signatory.  Additionally, the Hague Convention does not protect access between a left-behind parent and the child who has relocated to a foreign country.