Congressional approval of Intercountry Adoption Convention
On 20 September 2000 the Senate of the United States of America(1) approved a resolution of advice and consent to U.S. ratification of the Hague Convention of 29 May 1993 on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, and(2) passed the identical lengthy and detailed implementing legislation passed a few days earlier by the U.S. House of Representatives. President...
Common Law Judicial Conference on International Child Custody
From 17-21 September 2000, a Common Law Judicial Conference on International Child Custody took place in Washington, hosted by the U.S. Department of State. The following six countries participated: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States. Judges representing these delegations proposed "Best Practices" to improve operation of the Hague Convention of 25 October...
Workshop of Legal Experts
On the initiative of the Finnish Government, the Permanent Bureau organised from 7-9 September 2000 a workshop of Legal Experts from the Russian Federation, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden, with a view to facilitating the accession by the Russian Federation to several Hague Conventions on judicial co-operation. Further initiatives of this kind are already in...
House enactment of Intercountry Adoption Act
The Intercountry Adoption Act 2000 (HR 2909), which makes provision for the eventual implementation in the USA of the Hague Convention of 29 May 1993 on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, was passed in the US House of Representatives on 18 July 2000....
Deputy Secretary General Catherine Kessedjian Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mérite
At a reception given at his residence on 5 July 2000, the Ambassador of France to the Netherlands, His Excellency Mr Bernard de Faubournet de Montferrand, conferred on Mrs Catherine Kessedjian, Deputy Secretary General, the insignia of Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mérite. This distinction was awarded to Mrs Kessedjian for her services during the last eighteen years in upholding the civil law...
Visit of the German Minister of Justice
The German Minister of Justice, Madam Professor Dr Herta Däubler-Gmelin, visited the Permanent Bureau on 6 June 2000. It was the first visit of a German Minister of Justice to the offices of the Secretariat of the Hague Conference.The Minister was accompanied by Mr Lothar Maur, Judge at the Landgericht, Dr Stefan Walz, Ministerialrat, Mr Jan MacLean, Judge at the Amtsgericht, Ms Alexa Albrecht,...
Judges' Seminar on the International Protection of Children
On the initiative of the French and German Ministers of Justice, a Judges' Seminar on International Protection of Children was held at the Conference Centre De Ruwenberg, near 's-Hertogenbosch, from 3-6 June 2000, with the support of the Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference on private international law.Twelve judges from France, twelve from Germany, seven from Italy and six from the...
Ratification by Turkey
On Wednesday, 31 May 2000, the Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction was ratified by Turkey. The Convention will enter into force for Turkey on 1 August 2000....
Launch of the International Child Abduction Database (INCADAT) on the Internet
During the Special Commission on general affairs and policy of the Conference, to be held from 8-12 May 2000, the International Child Abduction Database (INCADAT) will officially be launched by the Minister of Justice of the Netherlands, Mr A.H. Korthals. This event will take place in the Academy Building of the Peace Palace in The Hague, on Tuesday, 9 May 2000, following the afternoon session of...
INCADAT demonstration
On 9 May 2000, the International Child Abduction Database (INCADAT) was officially launched. During this event, a slide show was presented about the Hague Conference and the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention, including a short demonstration of INCADAT. ...