Dr Christophe Bernasconi
Dr Christophe Bernasconi has served as Secretary General of the HCCH since 1 July 2013. He was reappointed in 2018 and again in 2023 for a five-year term.
As Secretary General, he initially focused on strengthening the HCCH’s good governance, thereby laying the foundations for its continued development. He now leads the work and strategic development of the HCCH, with a particular focus on strengthening effective, practical multilateralism and advancing the Organisation’s universality and inclusiveness.
Over nearly three decades at the Permanent Bureau, he has played a central role in the development of both the normative and non-normative work of the HCCH across its three core areas: transnational litigation and the authentication of public documents (Apostille), international family and child protection law, and international commercial, digital and financial law. He notably designed and implemented the electronic Apostille Programme (e-APP), now used worldwide.
Dr Bernasconi joined the Permanent Bureau in September 1997 as Secretary, was appointed First Secretary in May 2000, and became Deputy Secretary General in July 2011 before assuming his current role.
Prior to joining the HCCH, he lectured in private international law at the University of Fribourg, worked as a Legal Expert at the Swiss Institute of Comparative Law in Lausanne, and served as Scientific Collaborator at the Federal Office of Justice of Switzerland. He also advised practitioners on private international law matters.
He holds a law degree from the University of Fribourg (magna cum laude; bilingual German and French), an LL.M. in comparative law from McGill University (concentration in international commercial law), and a doctorate in private international law (Dr. iur. utr., summa cum laude) from the University of Fribourg.
Dr Bernasconi serves on the Advisory Boards of the International Institute for Justice Excellence, the Asian Academy of International Law, and the Hague Project Peace and Justice Foundation. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Australian New Zealand College of Notaries and an Honorary Professor of the Tashkent State University of Law. He has also contributed to the work of the International Bar Association and the International Law Association, including as Co-Rapporteur of the Committee on Transnational Enforcement of Environmental Law.