Latvian Prime Minister Establishes High Level Working Group for Latvian Minors Facing Child Protection Proceedings Abroad (September 2015)

English translation of Latvian Prime Minister’s order of 22 September 2015 establishing a Working Group on children facing child protection proceedings abroad. This is not an official translation. The order in Latvian is here.

Prime Minister’s Order No. 380
Riga, September 22, 2015

About the Working Group for the Protection of Children of Citizens of the Republic of Latvia abroad:

1. To coordinate activities related to the protection of children from the Republic of Latvia by foreigners, set up a Working Group consisting of the Minister of Justice (Head of the Working Group), the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Welfare, the Ombudsman, the Head of the State Children’s Rights Protection Inspectorate.
(In the version of order No. 38 of February 15, 2017)

2. The Working Group meetings are held when the Ministry of Justice has received refusal from the foreign country for further cooperation and the Ministry of Justice has encountered difficulties in the matter of cross-border family law, for example, the authorities of the host State have not reported the withdrawal of a child of a Latvian national from parental care and this child interests.

3. Working Group to assess the further actions of the competent authorities in order to ensure the protection of the interests of the child concerned – the Latvian citizen.

4. If necessary, the members of the Working Group may be replaced and the Working Group meetings may be attended by experts from the relevant institutions.

5. If necessary, representatives of other institutions may be invited to participate in the Working Group, for example, from the municipalities responsible for ensuring the interests of the child in Latvia.

Prime Minister: Laimdota Straujuma