The convention has uniform rules determining which country's authorities are competent to take the measures of protection.

The co-operation provisions of the Convention provide the basic framework for the exchange of information and for the necessary degree of collaboration between administrative authorities in the Contracting States.

The Hague Conference has, for more than a century, been involved in measures of protection under civil law of children at risk in cross-frontier situations.

[4] After this deal the Convention entered into force for several EU countries, including Spain and the United Kingdom.

The father appealed, but in November 2013 the Moscow City Court upheld their first ruling and the orders to return the children became final.