International child abduction from the perspective of a Central Authority under the 1980 Hague Convention

This chapter discusses the role and functions of Central Authorities under the Convention, with a focus on practical difficulties and best practices from a Swiss perspective. Co-operation and communication are essential to the functioning of the Convention and are therefore one of the chapter’s focal points, which includes an excursus on the challenges posed by collaboration during a pandemic. The basic principles that Central Authorities should follow when processing return (and access) applications, incoming and outgoing, are also addressed. Following the structure of Article 7 of the Convention, the other duties of Central Authorities, including discovery of the child’s whereabouts, the provision of arrangements to secure the child’s safe return, and other duties set out in the Convention, are outlined. An analysis of the strengths and benefits of the Central Authorities model, including the key challenges faced, precedes the conclusions.