Children's Act, 2005 (Act No. 38 of 2005) > Schedules > Schedule 2 : Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction > Chapter II : Central Authorities (Articles 6-7)

Article 6

A Contracting State shall designate a Central Authority to discharge the duties which are imposed by the Convention upon such authorities.

Federal States, States with more than one system of law or States having autonomous territorial organisations shall be free to appoint more than one Central Authority and to specify the territorial extent of their powers. Where a State has appointed more than one Central Authority, it shall designate the Central Authority to which applications may be addressed for transmission to the appropriate Central Authority within that State.

Article 7

Central Authorities shall co-operate with each other and promote co-operation amongst the competent authorities in their respective States to secure the prompt return of children and to achieve the other objects of this Convention. In particular, either directly or through any intermediary, they shall take all appropriate measures—

(a)	to discover the whereabouts of a child who has been wrongfully removed or retained;

(b)	to prevent further harm to the child or prejudice to interested parties by taking or causing to be taken provisional measures;

(c)	to secure the voluntary return of the child or to bring about an amicable resolution of the issues;

(d)	to exchange, where desirable, information relating to the social background of the child;

(e)	to provide information of a general character as to the law of their State in connection with the application of the Convention;

(f)	to initiate or facilitate the institution of judicial or administrative proceedings with a view to obtaining the return of the child and, in a proper case, to make arrangements for organizing or securing the effective exercise of rights of access;

(g)	where the circumstances so require, to provide or facilitate the provision of legal aid and advice, including the participation of legal counsel and advisers;

(h)	to provide such administrative arrangements as may be necessary and appropriate to secure the safe return of the child;

(i)	to keep other each other informed with respect to the operation of this Convention and, as far as possible, to eliminate any obstacles to its application.