First meeting of the Working Group on the Study relating to Institutions Analogous to Trusts
In March 2025, the Council on General Affairs and Policy (CGAP) mandated the establishment of a Working Group (WG) to review and complete the study on the application and interpretation of Article 2 of the 1985 Trusts Convention and on the institutions analogous to trusts, having due regard to any possible implications on non-Contracting Parties, and subject to available resources (see Conclusion and Decisions Nos 70-72 of CGAP 2025).
The first meeting of the WG was held online from 6 to 8 May 2025, hosted by the Permanent Bureau (PB). The meeting was attended by 26 delegates and other experts, representing 11 HCCH Members and four Observers, as well as by members of the PB. During the meeting, participants reviewed a preliminary draft report on the outcomes of the study, discussing matters including the characteristics that would be significant in considering whether an institution should be considered as a trust for purposes of Article 2 of the Convention; the characteristics of institutions such as foundations and waqfs; and the eventual structure and form of the publication. The WG will submit additional comments and updates for the publication during the intersessional work period, after which the draft will be circulated to HCCH Members for comments. The WG will meet again in October 2025 to finalise the publication in light of the comments received from HCCH Members.
More information on the 1985 Trusts Convention is available on the Trusts Section of the HCCH website.