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Office of Children's Issues

The Office of Children's Issues is an agency of the Bureau of Consular Affairs, which in turn is part of the U.S. Department of State. The Office of Children's Issues was created in 1994 under the leadership of Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mary Ryan and that of her successor Maura Harty.[1] The Office of Children's Issues is divided into three units — a Prevention unit, which seeks to prevent international child abductions; an Abduction unit, which responds to abductions seeks to facilitate a return of abducted children; and an Adoption unit.

U.S. Department of State
Office of Children's Issues
Seal of the United States Department of State
Agency overview
Formed1994
JurisdictionHague Abduction Convention
Hague Adoption Convention
HeadquartersHarry S. Truman Building
2201 C Street, NW, SA-29
Washington, D.C. 20520
Employees40
Agency executives
Parent agencyBureau of Consular Affairs
Website[1]

The Office of Children's Issues develops and coordinates policies and programs related to international child abduction. In this respect, it is the U.S. Central Authority under the terms of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction and the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption.

With respect to international adoptions, the agency coordinates policy and provides potential parents with information on international adoption. It does not intervene on behalf of individuals in foreign courts because, as it claims, adoption is an issue of judicial sovereignty within the country where the child resides. However, it is able to offer general information and help with regard to the adoption process in over 60 countries.

International child abduction edit

In its role as the United States' Central Authority with respect to the Hague Abduction Convention, the Office is responsible for taking action in cases involving international child abduction. The Office also provides information in response to inquiries about international child abduction, visitation rights and abduction prevention techniques. Like other Central Authorities around the world, it's responsible for working closely with other agencies and Central Authorities to ensure the speedy return of children under the Hague Convention.[2]

The Office of Children's Issues and the broader U.S. State Department has received sustained criticism by parents of children abducted to and from the U.S. and the lawyers who represent them for failing to treat international child abduction as a human rights issue rather than a diplomatic irritant,[citation needed] and taking a non-partisan, impartial role rather than effectively advocating for victimized parents and abducted children.[3]

Compliance Reports edit

 
2010 Report Cover

In recognition of the fact that the U.S. State Department would not voluntarily inform Congress, U.S. courts, law enforcement authorities, family law attorneys or the general public about the gross noncompliance of foreign countries in adhering to the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction, Congress enacted an annual reporting requirement obligating the State Department to publish a detailed annual report on the reliability and effectiveness of the Convention in protecting and securing the return of abducted American children in foreign countries. It was hoped that the law would make available a unique and vitally important source of information to parents, courts, governments and attorneys worldwide.[4]

The Compliance Reports have been issued for each year since 1999 with years 2002 and 2003 combined in a single report.[5]

Controversies edit

In 2002, parents of internationally-abducted children characterized the Office of Children's Issues of allowing “clientitis,” or deference to foreign leaders and laws, to trump OCI's vigilant pursuit of the interests of U.S. citizens. Patricia Roush, the mother of daughters abducted to Saudi Arabia, characterized her interactions with the State Department and Office of Children's Issues as demonstrating “indifference bordering on hostility,” Dismissing the Office as “merely another data collecting, do-nothing, play-dead-at-the-wheel section of the federal government." Maureen Dabbagh, mother of a daughter abducted to Syria, used the Freedom of Information Act to acquire her OCI files and was shocked by “page after page of slanderous, insulting comments made about me and comments trivializing my case.”[6]

In 2003, Joel Mowbray, the journalist credited with exposing the still running "Visa Express" program of the U.S. State Department long after it allowed the entry of at least 15 of the 18 hijackers of 9/11 wrote the book "Dangerous Diplomacy" on the role and culture of the U.S. State Department. Mowbray's second chapter in "Dangerous Diplomacy", titled "Cold Shoulder: State's Smallest Victim's", is dedicated to an analysis of the assistance provided to American parents left in the wake of an international child abduction. It describes State's overriding desire to appease foreign governments and maintain "good relations" as having a conflict of interest between their responsibility to internationally abducted children as the designated United States Central Authority under the Hague Convention. This inherent conflict of interest between the two roles is magnified by what the book defines as the "culture of state", a culture characterized by extreme moral relativism, valuing process over substance and misplaced priorities that reward failures by promotions or high paying jobs "consulting" for the foreign government of the country that they'd previously been paid to advocate America's interests in.[7]

A 2009 US Department of Justice press release reported nine U.S. State Department employees, including at least one Citizens Services Specialist in the Office of Children's Issues, admitted to illegally accessing the passport applications of celebrities and viewing extensive personal information in their applications in violation of the Privacy Act of 1974. The same act that is extensively cited to deny victim parents access to information on their internationally abducted children.[8]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "State Department Noon Briefing, August 6, 2002". america.gov. 2002-08-06. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  2. ^ . Archived from the original on 2009-04-30. Retrieved 2017-06-24.
  3. ^ "Foreign Affairs Manual 7 FAM 1710 INTERNATIONAL PARENTAL CHILD ABDUCTION". United States Department of State. 2005-10-17. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
  4. ^ "THE HAGUE CHILD ABDUCTION CONVENTION: DIMINISHING RETURNS AND LITTLE TO CELEBRATE FOR AMERICANS" (PDF). NYU Journal of International Law and Politics, 33 N.Y.U. J. Int ' l L. & Pol. 125. 2000. Retrieved 2010-04-20.
  5. ^ . Travel.state.gov. Archived from the original on April 8, 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-20.
  6. ^ DEROY MURDOCK (2002-07-25). "Not a Good Sign Thumbs down for leading candidate for new visa chief at State". National Review. Retrieved 2010-11-07.
  7. ^ Joel Mowbray (2003). Dangerous Diplomacy. Regnery. ISBN 0-89526-110-3.
  8. ^ "Former State Department Employee Sentenced for Illegally Accessing Confidential Passport Files". US Department of Justice. 2009-12-15. Retrieved 2010-09-11.

office, children, issues, agency, bureau, consular, affairs, which, turn, part, department, state, created, 1994, under, leadership, assistant, secretary, state, consular, affairs, mary, ryan, that, successor, maura, harty, divided, into, three, units, prevent. The Office of Children s Issues is an agency of the Bureau of Consular Affairs which in turn is part of the U S Department of State The Office of Children s Issues was created in 1994 under the leadership of Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mary Ryan and that of her successor Maura Harty 1 The Office of Children s Issues is divided into three units a Prevention unit which seeks to prevent international child abductions an Abduction unit which responds to abductions seeks to facilitate a return of abducted children and an Adoption unit U S Department of StateOffice of Children s IssuesSeal of the United States Department of StateAgency overviewFormed1994JurisdictionHague Abduction ConventionHague Adoption ConventionHeadquartersHarry S Truman Building2201 C Street NW SA 29Washington D C 20520Employees40Agency executivesBeth Payne citation needed DirectorAbduction Unit Chief Eastern Stefanie B Eye citation needed Abduction Unit Chief Western Laurie J Trost citation needed Adoption Unit Chief Alison E Dilworth citation needed Parent agencyBureau of Consular AffairsWebsite 1 The Office of Children s Issues develops and coordinates policies and programs related to international child abduction In this respect it is the U S Central Authority under the terms of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction and the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption With respect to international adoptions the agency coordinates policy and provides potential parents with information on international adoption It does not intervene on behalf of individuals in foreign courts because as it claims adoption is an issue of judicial sovereignty within the country where the child resides However it is able to offer general information and help with regard to the adoption process in over 60 countries Contents 1 International child abduction 1 1 Compliance Reports 2 Controversies 3 See also 4 ReferencesInternational child abduction editMain article International child abduction in the United States In its role as the United States Central Authority with respect to the Hague Abduction Convention the Office is responsible for taking action in cases involving international child abduction The Office also provides information in response to inquiries about international child abduction visitation rights and abduction prevention techniques Like other Central Authorities around the world it s responsible for working closely with other agencies and Central Authorities to ensure the speedy return of children under the Hague Convention 2 The Office of Children s Issues and the broader U S State Department has received sustained criticism by parents of children abducted to and from the U S and the lawyers who represent them for failing to treat international child abduction as a human rights issue rather than a diplomatic irritant citation needed and taking a non partisan impartial role rather than effectively advocating for victimized parents and abducted children 3 Compliance Reports edit Main article United States Hague Abduction Convention Compliance Reports nbsp 2010 Report Cover In recognition of the fact that the U S State Department would not voluntarily inform Congress U S courts law enforcement authorities family law attorneys or the general public about the gross noncompliance of foreign countries in adhering to the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction Congress enacted an annual reporting requirement obligating the State Department to publish a detailed annual report on the reliability and effectiveness of the Convention in protecting and securing the return of abducted American children in foreign countries It was hoped that the law would make available a unique and vitally important source of information to parents courts governments and attorneys worldwide 4 The Compliance Reports have been issued for each year since 1999 with years 2002 and 2003 combined in a single report 5 Controversies editIn 2002 parents of internationally abducted children characterized the Office of Children s Issues of allowing clientitis or deference to foreign leaders and laws to trump OCI s vigilant pursuit of the interests of U S citizens Patricia Roush the mother of daughters abducted to Saudi Arabia characterized her interactions with the State Department and Office of Children s Issues as demonstrating indifference bordering on hostility Dismissing the Office as merely another data collecting do nothing play dead at the wheel section of the federal government Maureen Dabbagh mother of a daughter abducted to Syria used the Freedom of Information Act to acquire her OCI files and was shocked by page after page of slanderous insulting comments made about me and comments trivializing my case 6 In 2003 Joel Mowbray the journalist credited with exposing the still running Visa Express program of the U S State Department long after it allowed the entry of at least 15 of the 18 hijackers of 9 11 wrote the book Dangerous Diplomacy on the role and culture of the U S State Department Mowbray s second chapter in Dangerous Diplomacy titled Cold Shoulder State s Smallest Victim s is dedicated to an analysis of the assistance provided to American parents left in the wake of an international child abduction It describes State s overriding desire to appease foreign governments and maintain good relations as having a conflict of interest between their responsibility to internationally abducted children as the designated United States Central Authority under the Hague Convention This inherent conflict of interest between the two roles is magnified by what the book defines as the culture of state a culture characterized by extreme moral relativism valuing process over substance and misplaced priorities that reward failures by promotions or high paying jobs consulting for the foreign government of the country that they d previously been paid to advocate America s interests in 7 A 2009 US Department of Justice press release reported nine U S State Department employees including at least one Citizens Services Specialist in the Office of Children s Issues admitted to illegally accessing the passport applications of celebrities and viewing extensive personal information in their applications in violation of the Privacy Act of 1974 The same act that is extensively cited to deny victim parents access to information on their internationally abducted children 8 See also editInternational child abduction International child abduction in the United States International child abduction in Brazil International child abduction in Japan International child abduction in Mexico Special Advisor for International Children s IssuesReferences edit State Department Noon Briefing August 6 2002 america gov 2002 08 06 Retrieved 2010 08 31 Department of State Archived from the original on 2009 04 30 Retrieved 2017 06 24 Foreign Affairs Manual 7 FAM 1710 INTERNATIONAL PARENTAL CHILD ABDUCTION United States Department of State 2005 10 17 Retrieved 2015 12 13 THE HAGUE CHILD ABDUCTION CONVENTION DIMINISHING RETURNS AND LITTLE TO CELEBRATE FOR AMERICANS PDF NYU Journal of International Law and Politics 33 N Y U J Int l L amp Pol 125 2000 Retrieved 2010 04 20 US State Dept Compliance Reports Travel state gov Archived from the original on April 8 2010 Retrieved 2010 04 20 DEROY MURDOCK 2002 07 25 Not a Good Sign Thumbs down for leading candidate for new visa chief at State National Review Retrieved 2010 11 07 Joel Mowbray 2003 Dangerous Diplomacy Regnery ISBN 0 89526 110 3 Former State Department Employee Sentenced for Illegally Accessing Confidential Passport Files US Department of Justice 2009 12 15 Retrieved 2010 09 11 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Office of Children 27s Issues amp oldid 1130134427, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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