1. The authorities of the Contracting State of the child's habitual residence, or of the Contracting State where a measure of protection has been taken, may deliver to the person having parental responsibility or to the person entrusted with protection of the child's person or property, at his or her request, a certificate indicating the capacity in which that person is entitled to act and the powers conferred upon him or her.
2. The capacity and powers indicated in the certificate are presumed to be vested in that person, in the absence of proof to the contrary.
3. Each Contracting State shall designate the authorities competent to draw up the certificate.
1. The designations referred to in Articles 29 and 44 shall be communicated to the Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference on Private International Law.
2. The declaration referred to in Article 34(2) shall be made to the depositary of the Convention.
A Contracting State in which different systems of law or sets of rules of law apply to the protection of the child and his or her property shall not be bound to apply the rules of the Convention to conflicts solely between such different systems or sets of rules of law.
In relation to a State in which two or more systems of law or sets of rules of law with regard to any matter dealt with in this Convention apply in different territorial units:
1.
any reference to habitual residence in that State shall be construed as referring to habitual residence in a territorial unit;
2.
any reference to the presence of the child in that State shall be construed as referring to presence in a territorial unit;
3.
any reference to the location of property of the child in that State shall be construed as referring to location of property of the child in a territorial unit;
4.
any reference to the State of which the child is a national shall be construed as referring to the territorial unit designated by the law of that State or, in the absence of relevant rules, to the territorial unit with which the child has the closest connection;
5.
any reference to the State whose authorities are seised of an application for divorce or legal separation of the child's parents, or for annulment of their marriage, shall be construed as referring to the territorial unit whose authorities are seised of such application;
6.
any reference to the State with which the child has a substantial connection shall be construed as referring to the territorial unit with which the child has such connection;
7.
any reference to the State to which the child has been removed or in which he or she has been retained shall be construed as referring to the relevant territorial unit to which the child has been removed or in which he or she has been retained;
8.
any reference to bodies or authorities of that State, other than Central Authorities, shall be construed as referring to those authorised to act in the relevant territorial unit;
9.
any reference to the law or procedure or authority of the State in which a measure has been taken shall be construed as referring to the law or procedure or authority of the territorial unit in which such measure was taken;
10.
any reference to the law or procedure or authority of the requested State shall be construed as referring to the law or procedure or authority of the territorial unit in which recognition or enforcement is sought.
For the purpose of identifying the applicable law under Chapter III, in relation to a State which comprises two or more territorial units each of which has its own system of law or set of rules of law in respect of matters covered by this Convention, the following rules apply:
(a)
if there are rules in force in such a State identifying which territorial unit's law is applicable, the law of that unit applies;
(b)
in the absence of such rules, the law of the relevant territorial unit as defined in Article 47 applies.
For the purpose of identifying the applicable law under Chapter III, in relation to a State which has two or more systems of law or sets of rules of law applicable to different categories of persons in respect of matters covered by this Convention, the following rules apply:
(a)
if there are rules in force in such a State identifying which among such laws applies, that law applies;
(b)
in the absence of such rules, the law of the system or the set of rules of law with which the child has the closest connection applies.
This Convention shall not affect the application of the Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, as between Parties to both Conventions. Nothing, however, precludes provisions of this Convention from being invoked for the purposes of obtaining the return of a child who has been wrongfully removed or retained or of organising access rights.
In relations between the Contracting States this Convention replaces the Convention of 5 October 1961 concerning the powers of authorities and the law applicable in respect of the protection of minors, and the Convention governing the guardianship of minors, signed at The Hague 12 June 1902, without prejudice to the recognition of measures taken under the Convention of 5 October 1961 mentioned above.
1. This Convention does not affect any international instrument to which Contracting States are Parties and which contains provisions on matters governed by the Convention, unless a contrary declaration is made by the States Parties to such instrument.
2. This Convention does not affect the possibility for one or more Contracting States to conclude agreements which contain, in respect of children habitually resident in any of the States Parties to such agreements, provisions on matters governed by this Convention.
3. Agreements to be concluded by one or more Contracting States on matters within the scope of this Convention do not affect, in the relationship of such States with other Contracting States, the application of the provisions of this Convention.
4. The preceding paragraphs also apply to uniform laws based on special ties of a regional or other nature between the States concerned.
1. The Convention shall apply to measures only if they are taken in a State after the Convention has entered into force for that State.
2. The Convention shall apply to the recognition and enforcement of measures taken after its entry into force as between the State where the measures have been taken and the requested State.
1. Any communication sent to the Central Authority or to another authority of a Contracting State shall be in the original language, and shall be accompanied by a translation into the official language or one of the official languages of the other State or, where that is not feasible, a translation into French or English.
2. However, a Contracting State may, by making a reservation in accordance with Article 60, object to the use of either French or English, but not both.
1. A Contracting State may, in accordance with Article 60:
(a)
reserve the jurisdiction of its authorities to take measures directed to the protection of property of a child situated on its territory;
(b)
reserve the right not to recognise any parental responsibility or measure in so far as it is incompatible with any measure taken by its authorities in relation to that property.
2. The reservation may be restricted to certain categories of property.
The Secretary General of the Hague Conference on Private International Law shall at regular intervals convoke a Special Commission in order to review the practical operation of the Convention.
