HCCH Forum — Fortaleza 2025: Domestic Violence and the 1980 Child Abduction Convention
Official programme and documentary resources from the Second Forum, with explanatory notes in Portuguese and English.
The Second Forum on Domestic Violence and the 1980 Child Abduction Convention, with a focus on the operation of Article 13(1)(b), took place in Fortaleza, Brazil, from 27 to 30 October 2025. It was co-hosted by the HCCH and the Government of Brazil. This page provides a route to the official event materials.
The resources below support study of the discussions. A conference contribution, an institutional report, the HCCH Guide to Good Practice and a binding judicial decision have different legal functions. They should be identified accurately when used in research or proceedings.
Português: temas e documentação do Fórum
O Segundo Fórum sobre Violência Doméstica e a Convenção da Haia de 1980 ocorreu em Fortaleza entre 27 e 30 de outubro de 2025, em organização conjunta da HCCH e do Governo do Brasil. A programação reuniu debates sobre o funcionamento do artigo 13(1)(b), os efeitos da subtração e da violência doméstica, acesso à justiça, obtenção de provas e medidas de proteção.
Na página oficial da HCCH estão reunidos o programa, as informações sobre os palestrantes, o discurso de abertura e materiais para os estudos de casos hipotéticos. Esses documentos permitem identificar os temas e as perguntas discutidas sem atribuir a cada intervenção o caráter de conclusão institucional.
A notícia publicada pela HCCH após o evento descreveu um diálogo aberto e informal e informou que o relatório seria preparado sem conclusões e recomendações, nem avaliação das manifestações apresentadas. Não se deve apresentar uma posição defendida no Fórum como alteração da Convenção ou orientação obrigatória para os tribunais.
Para utilizar o material em pesquisa, identifique a sessão, o autor da manifestação, a data e a natureza do documento. Se o argumento depender de uma regra vigente ou de precedente, consulte a respectiva fonte normativa ou judicial. Os casos hipotéticos servem à discussão metodológica; não constituem decisões sobre famílias reais.
English: topics and official materials
The Forum addressed the operation of Article 13(1)(b) in situations involving domestic violence. Its programme included the effects of wrongful removal or retention, access to justice, assessment of allegations, evidence, protective measures and the effects of return and non-return decisions.
The HCCH event page brings together the programme, speakers’ information, the opening address and materials for hypothetical-case discussions. These resources help locate the questions examined and distinguish the published programme from any individual participant’s views.
In its post-event account, the HCCH described an open, informal dialogue and explained that the planned report would not contain Conclusions and Recommendations or assess participants’ statements. An intervention at the Forum should therefore not be represented as a treaty amendment or binding instruction to national courts.
For research or a legal submission, identify the speaker, session, date and precise document relied upon. Where a proposition depends on current law or case law, cite the relevant legal source separately. Hypothetical cases are discussion materials, rather than adjudicated accounts of actual families.
Article 13(1)(b) and further legal reading
Article 13(1)(b) concerns a grave risk that return would expose the child to physical or psychological harm or an intolerable situation. The Convention’s other conditions and exceptions remain distinct. A return decision does not determine the merits of custody, as Article 19 provides.
The 2020 HCCH Guide to Good Practice, Part VI, offers a separate reference on this provision. For a matter before Brazilian courts, domestic procedure and the STF’s judgment in ADIs 4,245 and 7,686 must also be considered. Conference materials do not replace the examination of the current national framework or the evidence in the individual case.
Readers working in Portuguese can consult the firm’s Manual do Sequestro Internacional de Crianças; the English Manual provides a corresponding point of entry for international counsel. The Guide article linked below also provides access to the HCCH’s English and French editions and the Portuguese translation.