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Helping Recover Missing and Abducted Children For Over a Decade
Commemorate International Missing Children’s Day
News ·missing, the higher the risk he or she faces. “We, as responsible adults, should be aware of the issues that put children at risk and do all we can to help keep them as safe as possible,” says Ambassador Maura Harty (ret.), President and CEO of ICMEC. “We all need to be champions working together to protect each and every child. One child harmed is one child too many.” Every person has a role to play in the protection of children, providing them with a safer environment that insulates them against these risks. This year, in honor of International Missing Children’s Day, ICMEC’s social media platforms will focus on highlighting the issues of missing children and child abduction, and the ways in which we all can contribute to bringing missing children home. This month-long campaign will provide safety tips for parents and children, and showcase the good work of ICMEC’s 23-member-strong Global Missing Children’s Network (GMCN). To learn more about the GMCN, please visit: www.globalmissingkids.org; to learn more about ICMEC’s child safety lease visit http://globalmissingkids.org/resources/child-safety-prevention/. ABOUT MISSING CHILDREN’S DAY On May 25, 1979, 6-year-old Etan Patz disappeared from a street corner in his New York neighborhood while walking to school. A photo of Etan generated national and international media attention and became a symbol of the missing children movement. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed May 25 as National Missing Children’s Day. As public awareness of missing and abducted children increased globally, observance of May 25 as Missing Children’s Day expanded outside the United States. In 2001, May 25 was first observed as International Missing Children’s Day. In 2009, ICMEC began promoting a unified global message, focusing on the member countries of the Global Missing Children’s Network. The symbol for International Missing Children’s Day is the forget-me-not flower. ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR MISSING & EXPLOITED CHILDREN The International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC) is a 501(c)(3) non-governmental, non-profit organization working to make the world a safer place for all children by eradicating child abduction, sexual abuse and exploitation. Since its inception in 1998, ICMEC has: trained over 10,000 law enforcement officers from 117 countries; worked with governments in more than 100 countries to refine or implement laws against child pornography; increased global participation in International Missing Children’s Day, which has been commemorated in more than 20 countries across 6 continents since 2001; and created a 23-member Global Missing Children’s Network. ICMEC is headquartered in the United States, with regional representation in Brazil and Singapore. For more information go to www.icmec.org. [1] Parents & Abducted Children Together (2005), Every Five Minutes – A Review of the Available Data on Missing Children in the UK, Page 62 [2] http://www.missingkids.com/1in6…
Privacy Policy
International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children Privacy Policy LAST REVISED: 15 October 2015 Please carefully read the Privacy Policy (“Policy”) of the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (“ICMEC”) before using ICMEC’s websites (the “Websites”). By using the Websites you agree to be bound by the Policy. If you do not agree with the Policy, do not use the Websites. Maintaining the privacy of your personal information is of the utmost important to the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC). This online privacy policy describes how ICMEC collects and maintains all personally identifiable information that is obtained through this website: www.icmec.org. The purpose of this privacy policy is to explain how we will use any information we obtain from this website, as well as the practices and procedures we have implemented to protect your personal information. Please be aware that www.icmec.org sponsors, advertisers, or websites that have links on our website may collect personally identifiable information about you on their websites. The information and privacy practices of those organizations are not covered by this policy. We encourage you to read this privacy policy to gain a better understanding of how your personal information will be treated as you navigate ICMEC’s website. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about this privacy policy or our data collection practices, or if you would like to request that we delete your personal information from our records, you can call us at +1 703 837 6313, or send us your questions or comments via e-mail to information@icmec.org, or via postal mail to: Webmaster, International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children, 2318 Mill Road, Suite 1010, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA. Information We Collect You have several opportunities to submit your personally identifiable information on the ICMEC website, including your name, postal address, e-mail address, telephone number, and payment information. The purpose of collecting such information is to respond to specific questions; to honor requests for brochures, newsletters, or other publications; to provide users with information about missing or exploited children; or to process payments and donations made online. We may use your personal information to periodically communicate with you concerning ICMEC issues. We automatically collect Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and domain names of the originating visitor’s computer, in order to track the number and frequency of hits we receive per page. We may also identify the source of an external website link that brought you to www.icmec.org. This helps us to evaluate what websites or other content are prompting users to visit ICMEC’s website. We do not, however, associate individual IP addresses with any personally identifiable information in our databases, unless we detect a security intrusion or other unlawful activity…
Terms of Agreement
non-confidential and become the sole property of ICMEC. You hereby assign all rights in the Feedback to ICMEC. ICMEC shall have no obligations of any kind relating to the Feedback. Without limiting the foregoing, ICMEC shall be free to reproduce, use, disclose, exhibit, display, transform, create derivative works from, and distribute the Feedback to others without limitation, acknowledgment or compensation to you. You expressly waive any moral rights you may have in the Feedback. Disclaimers; Limitation of Liability All content on the Websites is provided on an “as is” basis, without express or implied warranty of any kind, including, but not limited, to the warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement. ICMEC makes no warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or reliability of any content available through the Websites and makes no representations or warranties that use of the Websites will be uninterrupted or error-free. In no event shall ICMEC be liable to you or any third party for any losses, including, without limitation, direct, indirect, incidental, consequential or special damages, arising out of or in any way connected with access to or use of the Websites or an inability to access or use the Websites, even if ICMEC has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Indemnity You agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless ICMEC, its officers, directors, employees, volunteers, and agents from and against any claims, damages, costs, actions, demands, liabilities, settlements, and expenses (including, without limitation, attorney’s fees) arising out of or related to your access to or use of the Websites or your inability to access or use the Websites. Termination; Modification or Removal of Content Notwithstanding any Terms of Use, ICMEC reserves the right, without notice and in its sole discretion, to discontinue the Websites or any services offered through the Websites and to terminate your access to the Websites at any time without notice. In addition, ICMEC reserves the right to delete, edit or modify any and all Content contained on the Websites and any services offered through the Websites at any time without notice. Governing Law and Jurisdiction The Terms of Use and your use of the Websites are governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, without resort to conflict of law provisions. You irrevocably and unconditionally consent and submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the State and Federal courts in the Commonwealth of Virginia over any action or proceeding relating to the Terms of Use. Miscellaneous The Terms of Use set forth the entire understanding and agreement between you and ICMEC with respect to the subject matter hereof. If any provision of the Terms of Use is deemed unlawful, void or…
International Parental Child Abduction
Protecting the Best Interest of Children Abductions of children by their parents are one of the most challenging types of missing children cases. Such abductions are sometimes perceived by local authorities as civil matters – and not criminal actions – and may not be rigorously investigated as the children involved are not believed to be at risk. This is a serious misconception and one of the main obstacles to the recovery of these children, who are at risk emotionally and sometimes physically. Parents who suspect the other parent may take a child out of the country without legal permission can take preventative measures to minimize the likelihood of abduction. Parents should make sure a custody order is in place that indicates the rights of each parent to the child as well as the right to take the child out of the country. This not only helps prevent a parent from taking a child out of the country without permission, but also assists if an international abduction occurs. The Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (1980 Hague Convention) provides one mechanism left-behind parents can use to seek the return of their child. The 1980 Hague Convention outlines procedures that provide for the quick (and voluntary) return of a child to his or her country of habitual residence. To date, 97 countries have signed on to the 1980 Hague Convention. Each of these countries has a Central Authority, an agency that helps to: locate wrongfully removed or retained children; initiate proceedings to return the child, including helping left-behind parents to submit the necessary documents/paperwork; and arrange for the child’s return. An International Network of Hague Judges also is available to provide technical assistance to judges who are new to issues related to the 1980 Hague Convention. In March 2010, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children, the Hague Conference on Private International Law and the U.S. Department of State jointly hosted the International Judicial Conference on Cross-Border Family Relocation (Judicial Conference) to address the complexities of international family relocation in a world of international mobility of individuals and families. More than 50 family law judges – from countries that are both signatories and non-signatories to the 1980 Hague Convention – and other experts from around the world participated in the Judicial Conference, which ultimately resulted in the “Washington Declaration on International Family Relocation,”. Another valuable tool in bringing resolution to cases involving international parental abduction is mediation. If both parents are willing to discuss the custody of the child, mediation can be used as an alternative to adjudication to reach an agreement that is considered to be in the best interests of the…
Video ID Code
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Button Link
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Partner Logo
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My Child Is Missing
Immediately call your local law enforcement agency. After you have reported your child missing to law enforcement, if a local, national or regional missing children’s organization exists, call them, too, so they can provide support to you and to law enforcement. If your child is missing from home, search anywhere he or she may be hiding in, near or around the home. If you are in a store and your child goes missing, notify the store manager, security officer or other employee as quickly as possible. Then immediately call your local law enforcement agency. When reporting your child as missing to law enforcement, it is important to provide as much information as possible about your child: name, date of birth, height, weight, and descriptions of any other unique identifiers such as eyeglasses, braces, and birthmarks. Explain the circumstances under which your child went missing and what your child was wearing when he or she went missing. It is important to remain as calm as possible when reporting your child missing as it will allow law enforcement to better understand what happened and ask all relevant questions to help locate your child more quickly….