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GlobalARRK CEO, Rosalind Osborne recently attended the OPOKA CIO Conference, where she spoke on behalf of the GlobalARRK and engaged with members of the Polish community and partner organisations. The conference provided an important opportunity to better understand the strengths, experiences and needs of the Polish community in the UK, as well as to learn more about the incredible work being carried out by OPOKA in supporting Polish domestic abuse survivors and vulnerable families in the UK. A key focus of the discussions was the unique challenges faced by migrant survivors, including those who return to Poland and encounter complex cross-border family law issues under the 1980 Hague Convention. The organisation looks forward to continuing to build relationships with OPOKA and other partners committed to improving outcomes for survivors and their children.

The Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) report on the Second Forum on Domestic Violence and the Operation of Article 13(1)(b) of the 1980 Hague Convention HCCH Report on the Second Forum on Domestic Violence and the Operations of Article 13(1)(b) of the 1980 Hague Convention on International Child Abduction Rosalind Osborne CEO of GlobalARRK and Ruth Dineen from FiLiA Hague Mothers presented on the lived experiences of survivors where mirrored protective orders have failed to protect victims of Domestic Violence and sadly they and their children have been harmed after a return under the convention. This remains a serious concern which needs timely and concrete action from the governors of the Convention. We raised multiple concerns about the Guide to Good Practice on Art 13b and proposed that it should be updated to include lived experience voice and reflect up to date safeguarding and child protection practices and we are disappointed that this update is not scheduled any time soon. Read the report here: HCCH Report

In October 2023, standing outside the Peace Palace in The Hague, Ruth Dineen from FiLiA Hague mothers and I held a petition signed by over 37,000 people calling for the protection of mothers and children harmed by the Hague Convention. When we handed over our petition, Christophe Bernasconi, Secretary General of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), stepped out to meet us. He listened and promised to try to do something.Later that day, inside the historic Peace Palace at the Special Commission meeting attended by all the member states of the Convention, he proposed the creation of a new Forum, one that would bring together all stakeholders to discuss domestic abuse, child welfare, and the Hague Convention. For the first time, survivors, advocates, judges, and government representatives would sit at the same table.When Ruth and I were invited to join the Steering Committee, it felt like a breakthrough, a rare chance for survivor voices to be heard at the heart of international law. But we quickly discovered how hard that would be.The first Forum was held in Sandton, South Africa in June 2024. The committee included judges, government officials, and representatives for both survivors of domestic abuse and “left-behind parents.” For the first time, policy makers heard lived experience testimonies in person – raw, brave, and heart-stopping. The room fell silent. Even the hardest hearts softened as survivors shared how they had fled violence, only to be branded “abductor” and returned under the convention to harms way.For the first time, there was understanding. Christophe closed the meeting with a call to preserve the “Spirit of Sandton” and Brazil offered to host the next Forum. We left feeling cautiously optimistic. Read the HCCH report here.  The Road to BrazilWe believed the next Forum, scheduled for Fortaleza in October 2025, would focus on solutions – real, practical change.But as planning progressed, the tone shifted. We learned there would again be no concrete next steps, conclusions or formal recommendations. The resistance to change, especially from certain European states, was palpable.We worked tirelessly for many months collecting, filming, and anonymising survivors’ testimonies to show at the Forum. These were powerful stories, brave mothers risking everything to protect their children.Yet, at the last minute, we were told the videos could not be part of the programme because the “left-behind parents” hadn’t had time to produce their own. We were devastated on behalf of the brave survivors who had shared their stories.I managed to negotiate with local organisers to play the videos in the main hall during lunch, but no official announcement was made. Few people came to watch. I sat there like it was a vigil – for the women and children the system continues to silence. Inside the Forum: Polarised sidesThe opening speeches in Brazil were passionate and full of hope for survivors. Brazilian government ministers and women’s rights leaders, including Maria da Penha, spoke powerfully about ending violence against women and reforming the Hague system.But as the sessions unfolded, we lurched between two seemingly diametrically opposing views of abduction – some speakers claimed all removals were “wrongful.” and dismissed survivors’ experiences as […]