Australia launches a Category 2 e-Register
On 14 December 2015, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Commonwealth of Australia launched a Category 2 e-Register as part of the electronic Apostille Program (e-APP) under the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (Apostille Convention). The e-Register is available...
Namibia joins the 1993 Intercountry Adoption Convention
Today, 10 December 2015, the Permanent Bureau received notification that on 21 September 2015, Namibia deposited its instrument of accession to the Hague Convention of 29 May 1993 on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. The Convention will enter into force for Namibia on 1 January 2016. With Namibia's accession, the Hague Adoption Convention counts 96...
Experts’ Group on the Use of Video-Link and other Modern Technologies in the Taking of Evidence Abroad
From 2 to 4 December 2015, the Experts’ Group on the Use of Video-Link and other Modern Technologies in the Taking of Evidence Abroad met in The Hague for its first meeting. The Experts’ Group was attended by 39 experts, representing 26 States and two international organisations, as well as members of the Permanent Bureau. The full report of the Experts’ Group has been...
International Family Law, Legal Co-operation and Commerce: Promoting the Rule of Law and Cross-Border Trade in MENA Countries
From 8 to 9 December 2015, approximately 45 experts from Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia, as well as government officials and judges from Germany, academic experts from Canada and the United Kingdom and members of the Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference on Private International Law, met to discuss the relevance of a number of Hague Conventions to the States of the Middle East and North...
Bahrain issues its first e-Apostille
On 3 December 2015, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain issued its first e-Apostille as part of the electronic Apostille Program (e-APP) under the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (Apostille Convention). Bahrain had already put in place a Category 2 e-Register in 2014. The Permanent...
Ukraine launches a Category 2 e-Register
On 20 November 2015, the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine launched a Category 2 e-Register as part of the electronic Apostille Program (e-APP) under the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (Apostille Convention). The e-Register is available at http://apostille.minjust.gov.ua/en/index. This is the...
New HCCH website
Today, the new Hague Conference website was launched by the Honourable James Allsop, Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia. The launch took place during the meeting of the Experts’ Group on the use of video-link and other modern technologies in the taking of evidence abroad, currently taking place at the offices of the Hague Conference. This new website, with its new...
Brazil joins the Hague Apostille Convention
On 2 December 2015, Brazil deposited its instrument of accession to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (the "Apostille Convention"). Following the usual procedural steps, the Convention will enter into force for Brazil on 14 August 2016, making it the 111th Contracting State to the Convention. ...
Kazakhstan joins the Hague Service Convention
Today, 27 November 2015, the Permanent Bureau received notification that on 15 October 2015, Kazakhstan deposited its instrument of accession to the Hague Convention of 15 November 1965 on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters. In the absence of any objection, the Convention will enter into force for Kazakhstan on 1 June 2016. With...
Morocco joins the Hague Apostille Convention
On 27 November 2015, Morocco deposited its instrument of accession to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (the "Apostille Convention"). Following the usual procedural steps, the Convention will enter into force for Morocco on 14 August 2016, making it the 110th Contracting State to the Convention. At the...