[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 11 (Tuesday, January 19, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2934-2935]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-1077]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice No. 2958]
Secretary of State's Advisory Committee on Private International
Law; Study Group on International Family Support Enforcement Meeting
Notice
There will be a public meeting of the Study Group on International
Family Support Enforcement of the Secretary of State's Advisory
Committee on Private International Law on Friday, January 29, 1999. The
meeting will be held from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM in Room 1107 of the U.S.
Department of State, 2201 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20520. The
purpose of the meeting is to assist the Department of State to prepare
the position of the U.S. delegation to a special commission session of
the Hague Conference on Private International Law, April 13-16, 1999.
The Hague Conference on Private International Law (of which the
United States is a member state) has scheduled the special commission
session to review the operation of existing conventions dealing with
the establishment, recognition, and enforcement of family support
orders, and to explore the desirability of developing over the next
four years a new Hague Convention on the enforcement of family support
obligations. Such a convention could incorporate and revise certain
features of the support enforcement process now included in the 1956
United Nations Convention on the Recovery Abroad of Maintenance, 268
U.N.T.S. 3 (1957); and four Hague conventions dealing with applicable
law and recognition orders--1956 Convention sur la loi applicable aux
obligations alimentaires envers les
[[Page 2935]]
enfants [Applicable law Convention], 510 U.N.T.S. 161 (1964); 1958
Convention concernant la reconnaissance et l'execution des decisions en
matiere d'obligations alimentaires envers les enfants [Recognition and
Enforcement Convention], 539 U.N.T.S. 27 (1965); 1973 Convention on the
Recognition and Enforcement of Decisions Relating to Maintenance
Obligations 1021 U.N.T.S. 209 (1976); and 1973 Convention on the Law
Applicable to Maintenance Obligations, 1056 U.N.T.S. 199 (1977). The
Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference is preparing a report for the
special commission that will set out in more detail the issues to be
before it during the April session. A preliminary draft version of that
report is available for consideration at the Study Group meeting.
The United States is not currently a party to any treaties or
conventions addressing the enforcement of family support obligations,
which are ordinarily a matter of state law in the United States. Many
of the states of the United States do have nonbinding, reciprocal
arrangements with foreign countries on the enforcement of family
support obligations. Moreover, under the Welfare Reform Act of 1996,
authority to enter into reciprocal arrangements on a bilateral basis
has also been given to the federal government. 42 U.S.C. 659A. A new,
multilateral convention would most likely require additional statutory
authority for implementation.
Persons interested in the Study Group or in attending the January
29 meeting in Washington may request copies of the documents under
consideration at the meeting, including the conventions listed above
and the draft report in preparation by the Permanent Bureau. Documents
may be requested from Ms. Rosie Gonzales by fax at 202-776-8482, by
telephone at 202-776-8420, or by email to pildb@his.com>, attention
Study Group on Family Support Enforcement. Please note the documents
requested, name, telephone number, and mailing address.
The meeting of the study group is open to the public up to the
capacity of the meeting room. Because access to the State Department
building is controlled, any person wishing to attend should provide Ms.
Gonzales the following information no later than Friday, January 22,
1999: name, Social Security number, date of birth, affiliation,
address, phone, fax numbers, and email address. Participants must use
the main entrance of the State Department building, on C Street between
21 and 23rd Streets, NW, where someone will be available to assist
their entry. Persons who cannot attend but nevertheless wish to be
included on the Department's mailing list of interested persons may
also provide Ms. Gonzales with their company's or organization
affiliations, mailing and email addresses, and fax and telephone
numbers.
Any person who is unable to attend, but who wises to have his or
her views considered, may send comments to Ms. Gonzales at the above
fax or email address, or may address them to Office of the Assistant
Legal Adviser for Private International Law (L/PIL), Suite 203, South
Building, 2430 E Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037-2800.
Jeffrey D. Kovar,
Assistant Legal Adviser for Private International Law.
[FR Doc. 99-1077 Filed 1-15-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-08-P
