Our Mission

The Mandate of IROCS, the International Rights of Children Society, is to address the root problems that threaten many children in British Columbia and around the world. Approximately 90 percent of children abducted from their homes in Canada by a parent are taken to the home country of the abducting parent.

The concept of a child’s right to both parents is enshrined in Article 9 of the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child, of the General Assembly resolution 44/25 of 20 November 1989.

“3. States Parties shall respect the right of the child who is separated from one or both parents to maintain personal relations and direct contact with both parents on a regular basis, except if it is contrary to the child’s best interest.”

The 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, declared that: “the interests of children are of paramount importance in matters relating to their custody”. It provides a legal framework “to protect children internationally from the harmful effects of their wrongful removal or retention and to establish procedures to ensure their prompt return to the State of their habitual residence, as well as to secure protection for rights of access.”

Canada is one of over 75 countries who are signatory to the Hague Convention. However, several countries to which Canada has a close tie have not signed the Hague Convention. Between 1996 and 2000, the top ten source countries for immigrants to Canada were, in descending order: China, India, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, U.S.A., Iran, Yugoslavia, and Great Britain. Of those countries, only the United States, Yugoslavia, and Great Britain are currently signatory to the Hague Convention.  Consequently, thousands of Canadian children live in danger of being wrongfully and irretrievably removed from their homes to countries that are not obligated to follow international standards in the resolution of custody disputes – standards that are designed to protect the interests of the child.

The Society is dealing with the problems created by this situation.

THE GOALS OF THE INTERNATIONAL RIGHTS OF CHILDREN SOCIETY ARE AS FOLLOWS:

• to raise public awareness about the harmful effects of parental abduction on children and their extended families
  
• to raise public awareness of the obstacles to securing the safe return of children to their home country once they have been abducted
  
• to provide information about proactive measures that a parent can take in order to protect their children from international abduction
  
• to assist parents to lawfully secure the return of their abducted children

PROMINENT AMONG THE WAYS IN WHICH THE GOALS OF THE SOCIETY WILL BE ADDRESSED ARE:

• informing people that a child’s right to both parents is enshrined in the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child
• informing people that the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction was established and supported by nations to protect children and their interests
• creating forums (for example, symposia, meetings, conferences, lecture series) to bring together interested people to discuss the complex issues related to the parental abduction of children
• providing information to parents on legal proceedings
• directing people to legal resources
• speaking at service club meetings
• providing brochures, pamphlets and newsletters
• organizing interviews with the media
• promoting the Society’s website and its links
• generating articles in newspapers and journals

IROCS HISTORY

The IROCS was incorporated under the British Columbia Society Act on July 27, 2005. It was formed in response to the following incidence of child abduction but has a mandate which addresses the root problems that threaten so many children in British Columbia and around the world.

On November 27, 2004,Takara and Manami Maniwa-Wood were abducted from Vancouver to Japan by their non-custodial mother, Ayako Wood. Despite pre-existing Orders of the Supreme Court of British Columbia stating that their father, Murray Wood, had sole custody of the children, that the children were to return to Canada on December 9, 2004, and that the Supreme Court of British Columbia had sole jurisdiction over the children, the children are still in Japan today. The children are Canadian citizens who had lived their whole lives in Vancouver.

Parental abduction is child abuse. The Hague Convention is designed to discourage international child abduction through an international agreement to send children back to their place of habitual residence in order to resolve custody disputes.

The process of creating security for children in a world where families increasingly extend beyond national boundaries will be long and difficult but, without significant change, Canadian children, and children around the world, will be increasingly at risk of exposure to the abuse and injustice that Takara and Manami are facing.

By working to raise public awareness of this issue, the IROCS intends to empower families to protect their children from this kind of abuse.

Please support our cause.
Join IROCS by sending an application form to:

The International Rights of Children Society
106 – 2498 West 41st Ave.
Vancouver, B.C.
Canada
V6M 2A7