Japan approves child abduction treaty The foreign ministry plans to create a central authority to take charge of locating children who have been removed by one parent following the collapse of an international marriage. Estranged couples will be encouraged to settle cases voluntarily although in cases where this is not possible, family course in Tokyo and Osaka will issue rulings. Japan's ratification of the treaty, which currently has 89 nation members, is likely to be warmly welcomed by the United States, which has long put pressure on its ally to fall into line on the issue. Parliament's approval of the treaty comes only three months after Shinzo Abe, the prime minister, promised to take action following talks at the White House with the President Barack Obama. Hundreds of children at the centre of Japanese custody battles have reportedly been abducted in recent years, including dozens of cases relating to British parents in the UK. The new law to be passed in Japan will permit parents to refuse to return children if abuse or domestic violence is feared, a caveat that campaigners recognise as essential but fear may be exploited as a loophole.