Bundesgesetzblatt · 02 Sep 2026 · 3 vistas
Child Abduction Agreement enters into force with Cabo Verde
Por FactBox Admin
The Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction will enter into force between the Federal Republic of Germany and Cabo Verde on 1 November 2026. This was established by the Federal Foreign Office in a notification dated 25 August 2026, which was published on 2 September 2026 in the Federal Law Gazette Part II No. 177.
Germany is thereby extending protection in cross-border custody and repatriation cases to another contracting state. Affected families will in future be able to rely on the mechanisms of the Convention if a child is wrongfully removed to or retained in Cabo Verde.
Legal Basis and Scope
The notification is based on Article 38 paragraph 5 of the Convention, which regulates the entry into force between contracting states. The Convention itself had already been put into force in Germany by the Act of 5 April 1990 (BGBl. 1990 II p. 206, 207).
The new notification follows the previous notification of 4 January 2024 (BGBl. 2024 II No. 7). It merely establishes the extended scope without changing the content of the Convention.
What the Convention Means for Families
The 1980 Hague Convention pursues two central goals:
- the immediate return of wrongfully removed or retained children to their state of habitual residence,
- the securing of access and custody rights across national borders.
Competent authorities in both states work together to process return applications promptly. For families with ties to Cabo Verde, this creates a reliable legal framework that was previously missing.
Signing and Execution
The notification was executed in Berlin on 25 August 2026 and signed by Dr. Julia Monar on behalf of the Federal Foreign Office. The publisher of the gazette is the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection.
For affected families, the entry into force on 1 November 2026 represents a tangible gain in legal certainty: abduction cases between Germany and Cabo Verde can in future be resolved via a common, binding path under international law, rather than relying on bilateral agreements in individual cases.
Source: Federal Law Gazette, Part II No. 177 of 2 September 2026, Notification on the scope of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (official reference: BGBl. 2026 II No. 177).