Details

On the 31st of October 2003 the Hague Conference on Private International Law celebrated its 110th Anniversary at 4.30 p.m. in the Great Hall of Justice of the Peace Palace in The Hague. President Ferenc Mádl of Hungary, a former delegate to the Hague Conference, marked the occasion by giving a speech on “Milestones on the Road of Private International Law Developments”. Significant among those milestones are the many “Hague” Conventions negotiated at the Peace Palace. The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, now Secretary General of NATO, Mr Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, introduced him.

This celebration gathered Ambassadors from more than 50 countries, representatives of other international organisations based in The Hague and high-ranking officials of the Netherlands. Also present were delegates from more than 40 States from all over the world, who have now come together to confront the challenge of operating three of the existing Hague Conventions in a globalising and increasingly electronic environment.
Full programme of the celebration | Speech delivered by President Mádl

   
(Click the photos for a larger image)
(1) from left to right.: Secretary General of the Hague Conference Hans van Loon, Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, President Mádl, Chairman of the Standing Government Committee of Private International Prof. Teun Struycken, Deputy Secretary General Prof. William Duncan
(2) from right to left: ICTY Vice-President Fausto Pocar, Iran/US Claims Tribunal President Krzysztof Skubiszewski, Supreme Court PG A.S. Hartkamp, Supreme Court President W.E. Haak, Mrs M.L.A. van Loon-Labouchère, Hungarian Ambassador Tibor Kiss
(3) President Mádl and Foreign Affairs Minister J.G. de Hoop Scheffer
(4) President Mádl with Ambassador Milijana Danevska of The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Mrs M.L.A. van Loon-Labouchère