The Secretary General addresses the Council of Europe's Committee of Legal Advisers on Public International Law
At the 41st meeting of the Committee of Legal Advisers on Public International Law of the Council of Europe, held in Strasbourg on 17-18 March 2011, the Secretary General of the Hague Conference made a statement on the interaction between recent case-law of the European Court of Human Rights and the Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. For...
The Secretary General participates in the first Petersburg International Legal Forum
From May 19-21, 2011, Secretary General Hans van Loon took part in the first International Legal Forum in St Petersburg. Invited by the Government of the Russian Federation, he spoke on May 19, at the Plenary Session, moderated by former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (please click here to read the Secretary General's speech). The plenary session was opened by President Dmitry...
Significant Milestones for e-APP for Europe Project
PRESS RELEASE Significant Milestones for e-APP for Europe Project: Spain issues its first e-Apostilles and starts operating a central e-Register using state-of-the-art e-APP technology This week Spain issued and registered its first e-Apostilles using state-of-the-art technology developed under the e-APP (electronic Apostille Pilot Program) for Europe project, thus becoming the...
Oman joins the Apostille Convention as 101st Contracting State
On Thursday 12 May 2011, the Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman, H.E. Mr Sayyid Mohammed Harib 'Abdallah Al-Said, deposited Oman's instrument of accession to the Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents ("Apostille Convention"). As a result, Oman has become the 101st Contracting State to the Apostille Convention. In a short ceremony at...
Mexico Inter-American Meeting
Mexico Inter-American Meeting of International Hague Network Judges and Central Authorities on International Child Abduction (Mexico, 23-25 February 2011) Purpose of the Meeting The meeting was organized to discuss how to improve, among the countries represented, the operation of the Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (the 1980 Hague Child...
Cross-frontier surrogacy issues added to Hague Conference work programme
PRESS RELEASE Cross-Frontier Surrogacy Issues Added to Hague Conference Work Programme On Thursday, 7 April 2011, the Hague Conference on Private International Law's Council on General Affairs and Policy invited its Permanent Bureau to intensify its work on the broad range of issues arising from international surrogacy arrangements. International surrogacy cases often involve...
Several States join Hague Conventions during Council on general affairs and policy
PRESS RELEASE During the Hague Conference on Private International Law's annual meeting of its Council on General Affairs and Policy (5-7 April 2011), the European Union, Norway, Andorra and Costa Rica will each join one or more of the Hague Conventions. On behalf of the European Union, the Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice & Public Administration, H.E. Dr. Tibor...
Finnish-Russian Expert Conference on International Child and Family Law
On Wednesday 23 March 2011, a Finnish-Russian Expert Conference was held in Helsinki to discuss questions related to international child and family law. The Permanent Bureau was invited to participate in this meeting and was represented by Deputy Secretary General William Duncan. In the discussions, emphasis was laid on the central principles of the United Nations Convention...
Haiti signs Hague Intercountry Adoption Convention
The Hague Conference on Private International Law is pleased to announce that on 2 March 2011 the Republic of Haiti signed the Hague Convention of 29 May 1993 on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in respect of Intercountry Adoption. By signing the Convention, the Republic of Haiti signals its wish and intention to reform its child protection system, as well as its intercountry adoption...
Publication of the Spanish version of the Guide to Good Practice under the Child Abduction Convention: Part IV - Enforcement
It is with great pleasure that the Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference on Private International Law announces the publication of the Spanish version of Part IV of the Guide to Good Practice under the Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction - Enforcement. This Guide is based upon the principles of good practice presented to, and...