The Committee on Youth and Sports supports the adoption in general of the draft law on Ukraine's accession to the Inter-American Convention on Maintenance Obligations

Information Department of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Secretariat
11 March 2021, 10:46

During the meeting of the Committee it was noted that the draft Law No. 0091 proposes to accede to the Inter-American Convention on Maintenance Obligations. The Convention defines the procedure for international procedural cooperation, in particular as regards the requirements under which maintenance decisions taken in one State Party will be enforced in other States Parties, as well as the obligation of States Parties to provide free legal aid to persons entitled to exemption from legal costs, the possibility to take temporary or urgent measures of a territorial nature, the execution of temporary detention decisions and interim court decisions on detention, etc.

The Convention also contains general provisions, including the provision of temporary custody for children from other States Parties left without care in their territories, assistance to States Parties in the transfer of funds paid under the Convention, as well as the possibility of refusing to enforce foreign judgments or to apply foreign law.

Upon acceding to the Convention, Ukraine is invited to make statements and reservations to the Convention. In particular, the application to Article 3 proposes to extend the application of the Convention to the obligation to maintain adult children, incapacitated parents and other family members, taking into account the provisions of the Family Code.

 The members of the Committee agreed with the President of Ukraine that ratification of the Convention will create a legal basis for mutual recognition and enforcement of alimony decisions in cases where the debtor and the debt collector reside in Ukraine and one of the States Parties to the Convention. MPs believe that the ratification of the Convention will simplify the procedures for fulfilling the obligations to maintain children, spouses, adult children, disabled parents, both in Ukraine and in other states parties to the Convention.