Volume XXIII of the Judges’ Newsletter (Winter 2018-Spring 2019)

The Permanent Bureau is pleased to announce the publication of Volume XXIII of the Judges’ Newsletter (Winter 2018-Spring 2019)  with a Special Focus on “The 20th Anniversary of the International Hague Network of Judges (IHNJ)” which was celebrated on the occasion of the 3rd IHNJ Global Meeting held in Miami from 24 until 26 October 2018. This “Anniversary”...

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African Regional Conference on the HCCH Children’s Conventions

From 2 to 3 April 2019, 149 senior government officials, judges, legal practitioners, academics, social service practitioners, researchers and other experts from Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Ethiopia, France, Ghana, Guinea, Israel, Japan, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, United Kingdom (England and Scotland), United States of...

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International Symposium on Family Mediation in Singapore

On 29 March 2019, the Family Mediation Symposium convened at the Auditorium of the Supreme Court of Singapore. The Symposium brought together more than 130 experts and practitioners in the field of family mediation to discuss issues and challenges in mediating family disputes, both in a domestic and in a cross-border context. This event, a joint collaboration between the Family Justice Courts of...

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Child Protection Convention entered into force for Fiji

On 1 April 2019, the Convention of 19 October 1996 on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforcement and Co-operation in Respect of Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children ("Child Protection Convention") entered into force for Fiji, following the deposit of its instrument of accession on 5 June 2018. The Child Protection Convention currently has...

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Available now: Practical Handbook on the Operation of the 1996 HCCH Child Protection Convention in all official languages of the EU

The Permanent Bureau is pleased to announce that the Practical Handbook on the Operation of the 1996 Hague Child Protection Convention is now available in all official languages of the European Union. The European Commission (DG Justice) generously provided translations into the official languages of the European Union, with the exception of English, French and Spanish, which had already been...

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Nicaragua accedes to the 1970 Evidence and 1996 Child Protection Conventions

On 27 February 2019, Nicaragua deposited its instrument of accession to the HCCH Convention of 18 March 1970 on the Taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil or Commercial Matters (“Evidence Convention”). The Evidence Convention, which now has 62 Contracting Parties, will enter into force for Nicaragua on 28 April 2019. On the same day, Nicaragua also deposited its instrument of accession to...

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Following Guyana’s accessions, Child Abduction and Child Protection Conventions have 100 and 50 Contracting Parties respectively

On 5 February 2019, Guyana deposited its instrument of accession to the HCCH Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (“Child Abduction Convention”), making it the 100th Contracting Party to the Convention. The Child Abduction Convention will enter into force for Guyana on 1 May 2019. This is a significant development and milestone as the...

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Conference of Hague Convention Network Judges celebrating the 20th anniversary of the International Hague Network of Judges

From 24 to 26 October 2018, on the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the International Hague Network of Judges (“IHNJ”), Members of the IHNJ from over 30 jurisdictions, experts from the Central Authority of the United States of America (“USCA”), Reunite, private practice, and the Permanent Bureau (PB) of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), met at...

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Cuba accedes to 1980 Child Abduction Convention; Paraguay accedes to 1996 Child Protection Convention; Philippines accedes to 1961 Apostille Convention

On 12 September 2018, Cuba, Paraguay and the Philippines joined various Hague Conventions, coinciding with the celebration of the 125th anniversary of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (the “HCCH”).  Cuba deposited its instrument of accession to the Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International...

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