CGAP 2025 — New Members, ratifications, and signatures
On 5 March 2025, the Council on General Affairs and Policy (CGAP) of the HCCH welcomed the Republic of Rwanda as a new Member of the Organisation. It also witnessed the Republic of Guatemala apply for Membership, the Republic of Costa Rica sign the Convention of 30 June 2005 on Choice of Court Agreements (2005 Choice of Court Convention), and the Republic of Colombia join the Convention of 23 November 2007 on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance (2007 Child Support Convention).
Mr Jean Hugues Mukama, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. at the Embassy of Rwanda in the Netherlands, deposited Rwanda’s instrument of acceptance of the Statute of the HCCH, with Rwanda thus becoming the 92nd Member of the HCCH. Rwanda has been connected to the work of the HCCH since 2012 and is currently a Contracting Party to the 1961 Apostille Convention and the 1993 Adoption Convention.
On the same day, Guatemala applied to become a Member of the HCCH. Following a six-month voting period and provided a majority of votes have been cast in its favour, Guatemala will be invited to become a Member by accepting the Statute of the HCCH. Guatemala was represented by H.E. Ms Ana Cristina Rodríguez Pineda, Ambassador to the Netherlands. It has been connected to the work of the HCCH since 2002 and is currently a Contracting Party to the 1961 Apostille Convention, the 1980 Child Abduction Convention, and the 1993 Adoption Convention.
H.E. Arnoldo Brenes Castro, Ambassador of Costa Rica to the Netherlands, signed the 2005 Choice of Court Convention on behalf of Costa Rica. The Convention will enter into force for Costa Rica only after it deposits an instrument of ratification pursuant to Art. 31(2) of the Convention. Costa Rica has been a Member of the HCCH since 2011 and is a Contracting Party to seven HCCH Conventions.
Finally, H.E. Ms Carolina Olarte-Bácares, Ambassador of Colombia to the Netherlands, signed the 2007 Child Support Convention on behalf of Colombia, and subsequently deposited Colombia’s instrument of ratification of the Convention. With the ratification of Colombia, 54 States and the European Union are bound by the 2007 Child Support Convention. It will enter into force for Colombia on 1 July 2025. Colombia, which is currently in the process of becoming a Member, has been connected to the work of the HCCH since 1993. It is now a Contracting Party to six HCCH Conventions.
