Vacancy: Administrative Assistant (preferably full-time (40 hours) with flexibility for part-time (32 hours))

The Permanent Bureau of the HCCH (The Hague) is seeking an:  Administrative Assistant (preferably full-time (40 hours) with flexibility for part-time (32 hours)) The successful candidate will possess the following qualifications:  Very good secondary level of education, preferably post-secondary; At least three years of relevant professional experience, preferably within...

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Importance of the work of the HCCH and the PCA for francophone Africa

On 10 January, representatives from nineteen French-speaking African States, along with a delegate from the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), convened in Brussels for a meeting organised by Belgium, France, and Switzerland. The agenda focused on exploring the benefits of membership in the HCCH and the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). The Belgian Minister of Foreign...

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Publication of the Practical Handbook on the Operation of the 2000 Protection of Adults Convention

The Permanent Bureau (PB) is pleased to announce the publication of the Practical Handbook on the Operation of the 2000 Protection of Adults Convention (Practical Handbook). The Practical Handbook is intended to assist current and prospective Contracting Parties to the 2000 Protection of Adults Convention by providing practical guidance on the implementation and operation of the Convention, which...

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Entry into force of Spanish as an additional official language of the HCCH

Today, 1 July 2024, marks the entry into force of Spanish as an additional official language of the HCCH. As of today, English, French, and Spanish are the three official languages of the Organisation.   The Members of the HCCH took the historic decision to adopt Spanish as an official language in March 2023, during the annual meeting of the HCCH Council on General Affairs and Policy...

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CGAP 2024 – Conclusions & Decisions now available!

The Council on General Affairs and Policy (CGAP) of the HCCH met from 5 to 8 March 2024. The meeting was attended by over 429 participants, representing 74 HCCH Members, 5 non-Member States, 7 intergovernmental organisations, 8 international non-governmental organisations, and members of the Permanent Bureau (PB). The Conclusions & Decisions adopted by CGAP are now available in English,...

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Publication of the HCCH 2023 Annual Report

The Permanent Bureau is pleased to announce the publication of the HCCH 2023 Annual Report. Throughout the past year, the HCCH continued to advance its legislative work and to promote the effective operation of its Conventions, successfully convening the meetings of one Experts’ Group, four Working Groups, and one Special Commission, the latter tasked with reviewing the practical operation...

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25th Anniversary of the International Hague Network of Judges

On 14 October 2023, on occasion of the 25th anniversary of the International Hague Network of Judges (IHNJ), Members of the IHNJ from over 30 jurisdictions met in The Hague. The meeting was held during the Eighth Meeting of the Special Commission on the Practical Operation of the 1980 Child Abduction and the 1996 Child Protection Conventions (SC). The IHNJ facilitates international cooperation...

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Second Meeting of the HCCH-UNIDROIT Digital Assets and Tokens Joint Project

From 2 to 4 October 2023, the second meeting of the HCCH-UNIDROIT Joint Project on Law Applicable to Cross-Border Holdings and Transfers of Digital Assets and Tokens was held at the premises of the Secretariat of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) in Rome, in hybrid format. The Joint Project examines the desirability of developing coordinated guidance and...

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25th anniversary of the HCCH website

Today, we joyfully celebrate 25 years of the HCCH’s online presence!  On Thursday, 8 October 1998, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Mr D.J. van den Berg, officiated the launch of the new website of the HCCH, developed  through a generous voluntary contributions from the Government of the Netherlands.  For twenty-five years, our...

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Publication of the Proceedings of the Twenty-Second Session of the HCCH

The Permanent Bureau is pleased to announce the publication of the Proceedings of the Twenty-Second Session. The Twenty-Second Session of the HCCH, held from 18 June to 2 July 2019, resulted in the adoption of the Convention of 2 July 2019 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters (2019 Judgments Convention). The Proceedings consist of two volumes....

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