[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 16425]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                     INTERNATIONAL CHILD ABDUCTION

  (Mr. LAMPSON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, this weekend I brought together 
international leaders at a luncheon in London to discuss the problem of 
international parental child abduction. This is an issue that touches 
families everywhere and an issue, to be solved, needs to be addressed 
everywhere. The luncheon was very productive, and I hope that it will 
lead to action by my foreign counterparts. National boundaries are no 
barrier to the transportation and victimization of children.
  Today, there is no enforceable global system to attack and address 
this problem. Despite legal, law enforcement, and diplomatic 
mechanisms, many cases are not identified. Many children are not 
recovered. Many children who are located are not returned to their 
country of origin due to legal and procedural problems. This situation 
causes anger, outrage, and pain for searching parents around the world.
  Unless urgent and rapid action is taken, more and more children will 
be denied their most basic right, that of having access to both 
parents. The challenge is now to find commitment at both national and 
international levels to implement these actions. Family disputes and 
divorce will never go away. Parental child abduction, however, must be 
eradicated.

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