Join APF for a talk on international parental child abduction (IPCA) and the U.S.-Pakistan Treaty on IPCA under the Hague Convention. We will learn from experts about efforts to prevent the abduction of children, to locate missing children, and post-location care. Nausher Ali and Stuart Arias from the Office of Children's Issues at the U.S. State Department will discuss their work and the treaty, followed by a presentation by Caroline Teague and Lilybeth Ruiz of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

Speakers

Nausher Ali currently serves as the Division Chief for Eastern Hemisphere Abductions in the Office of Children’s Issues. He takes pride in representing the American people overseas and has done so in Burkina Faso, Belgium, Bahrain and Canada. His domestic assignments have included working on migration and consular issues in the Office of Cuban Affairs and his work in the Visa Office included their initial response to the COVID pandemic. Nausher joined the Office of Children's Issues in July 2020, and has been focused on steering parental child abduction focused bilateral relations with countries in the Eastern Hemisphere and on the teams that support the parents whose children have been abducted to or from those countries.

Stuart Arias is originally from Fort Worth, Texas. He has an educational and professional background in the criminal justice field. Stuart first joined the Department of State as a Passport Specialist at the Vermont Passport Agency and is now, a Prevention Officer with the Office of Children's Issues. He also holds a liaison position with U.S. Customs and Border Protection for close assistance in the prevention of International Parental Child Abduction.

Caroline Teague joined the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in 2009. Caroline worked in the External Affairs Division for 4 years, serving as the Special Programs Coordinator responsible for planning and implementing the Take 25 Campaign, a national child safety awareness effort. Caroline now serves as a Supervisor within the Missing Children Division. She has provided parents, guardians, and law enforcement with information regarding NCMEC resources and services available for missing child cases. Caroline has represented NCMEC in public speaking engagements to various audiences including the U.S. Department of State, Interpol, local universities, foreign government officials, and NGOs.

Lilybeth Ruiz joined the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in 2015 after graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland College Park. Prior to joining NCMEC, Lilybeth completed an internship with the Family Justice Center in Rockville, MD and worked with victim specialists who assisted victims of domestic violence. Since joining NCMEC, Lilybeth has worked in the Missing Children Division, and in her role as a Case Manager she has handled both domestic and international family abduction cases. While in this role, she has assisted parents, guardians, and law enforcement, providing them with information regarding NCMEC resources and services available for missing child cases.

The following panelists will also be in attendance to answer questions on behalf of the Office of Children’s Issues:

Tom Katen - Branch Chief for South and Central Asia

Lee Hilgartner - Country Officer for Pakistan

Mehmil Zia - Country Officer in the Europe branch