Professor William R. Duncan receives Ireland's Presidential Distinguished Service Award
The Permanent Bureau is pleased to announce that former Deputy Secretary General of the HCCH, Professor William Duncan, was named as one of 14 honourees to receive the prestigious Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad. Professor Duncan received the award in the category of “Peace, Reconciliation, and Development”, in recognition of his years of dedication to...
Passing away of Professor Dr Alegría Borrás
It is with deep regret and sorrow that the Permanent Bureau (PB) announces the passing of Professor Dr Alegría Borrás on 14 December 2020. Throughout her illustrious career, Professor Borrás was deeply involved in the work of the HCCH. From 1986, Professor Borrás represented Spain as an expert and delegate at the Council on General Affairs and Policy (CGAP), Special...
HCCH-WIPO Guide now available in Arabic, Chinese, Russian, and Spanish
The Permanent Bureau is pleased to announce that the Guide entitled “When Private International Law Meets Intellectual Property – A Guide for Judges”, co-authored by Annabelle Bennett (Australia) and Sam Granata (Belgium), with the co-ordination of the Secretariats of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the HCCH, is now available in Arabic, Chinese, Russian,...
Publication of the Explanatory Report on the Judgments Convention
Following the approval of the Explanatory Report on the HCCH Convention of 2 July 2019 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters (Judgments Convention) on 22 September 2020, the Permanent Bureau is pleased to announce the official publication of the Explanatory Report prepared by the co-Rapporteurs Professors Francisco Garcimartín (Spain)...
40th Anniversary of the Child Abduction and Access to Justice Conventions
On 25 October 2020, two HCCH Conventions celebrate their respective 40th anniversaries, following adoption at the Fourteenth Session: the 1980 Child Abduction Convention and the 1980 Access to Justice Convention. The Child Abduction Convention has become one of the most visible HCCH Conventions since its entry into force on 1 December 1983. The Convention aims to protect children from the harmful...
Nicaragua becomes 86th Member of the HCCH
Today, 21 October 2020, the Republic of Nicaragua deposited its instrument of acceptance of the Statute, thus becoming the 86th Member of the HCCH. Due to restrictions currently imposed as a result of the pandemic, the deposit of the instrument could unfortunately not take place in person. While there was therefore no opportunity to celebrate the Membership with the usual ceremony at the Ministry...
Explanatory Report on the HCCH Judgments Convention
Today, 22 September 2020, marks the approval of the Explanatory Report (ER) on the HCCH Convention of 2 July 2019 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters (HCCH Judgments Convention), prepared by the co-Rapporteurs, Professor Francisco Garcimartín and Professor Geneviève Saumier, with the assistance of the Permanent Bureau of...
Video Message from the Secretary General: COVID-19
Council on General Affairs and Policy – Conclusions & Decisions
The Council on General Affairs and Policy (CGAP) met from 3 to 6 March 2020 – the Conclusions & Decisions it adopted are now available in English and French. The projects on normative work include two further meetings of the Experts’ Group on Jurisdiction before CGAP 2021, the continuation of the Parentage / Surrogacy Project and the Tourists and Visitors Project,...
Available now: The Collection of instruments of the HCCH – 9th Edition
The Permanent Bureau is pleased to announce that the 9th Edition of the Collection of instruments of the HCCH has been presented and released today, 3 March 2020, during the opening of the annual meeting of the Council on General Affairs and Policy (CGAP). Like its eight predecessors, this new edition contains a selection of instruments that have entered into force under the auspices of the HCCH,...