Judge James Garbolino explains the role of the Central Authority, an entity that each country that is a signatory to the 1980 Convention must designate to assist in the administration of the Convention. In the United States, the Central Authority is the U.S. State Department. Within the State Department, the Office of Children’s Issues is responsible for handling child abduction cases. The role of the Central Authority includes locating children, securing the voluntary return of the child if possible, and cooperating with counterpart authorities in other countries. The Central Authority typically informs courts of the filing of a petition for a child’s return, and it acts as a conduit for official inquiries by a U.S. or foreign court as to the status of foreign law. Henry Hand (director of the Office of Children's Issues) and Judge Peter Messitte (D. Md.) discuss the Central Authority's role in Hague cases.

This is one of several 1980 Hague Convention on International Child Abduction video tutorials.

This video is part of The 1980 Hague Convention on International Child Abduction: A Resource for Judges, a Special Topic Webpage.​