Seminar “Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in the Western Balkan Region: HCCH 2019 Judgments Convention”
On 15 and 16 May 2023, the seminar “Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in the Western Balkan Region: HCCH 2019 Judgments Convention”, co-organised by the Center for International Legal Cooperation (CILC) and the HCCH, was held in The Hague. The seminar provided an opportunity for participants to further refine their knowledge of the 2019 Judgments Convention and to...
Launch of the HCCH-UNIDROIT Digital Assets and Tokens Joint Project
The Permanent Bureau is pleased to announce the formal approval of the HCCH-UNIDROIT Joint Project on Law Applicable to Cross-Border Holdings and Transfers of Digital Assets and Tokens (HCCH-UNIDROIT Digital Assets and Tokens Joint Project). The Council on General Affairs and Policy (CGAP) of the HCCH endorsed the launch of the Joint Project during its annual meeting, in March 2023. Today, on 11...
CGAP 2023 – The HCCH decides to adopt Spanish as official language
Last week, during the annual meeting of the HCCH Council on General Affairs and Policy (CGAP), the Members of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) took the historic decision to adopt Spanish as an official language. From 1 July 2024, Spanish will join English and French as one of the three official languages of the Organisation. This development represents an important further...
CGAP 2023 – Conclusions & Decisions now available!
The Council on General Affairs and Policy (CGAP) of the HCCH met from 7 to 10 March 2023. The meeting was attended by over 450 participants, representing 80 HCCH Members, 8 non-Member States, 7 intergovernmental organizations, 9 international non-governmental organizations, and members of the Permanent Bureau. The Conclusions & Decisions adopted by CGAP are now available in English and French....
CGAP 2023 – Appointment of HCCH Secretary General
The Council on General Affairs and Policy (CGAP) has decided to recommend Dr Christophe Bernasconi to the Netherlands Standing Government Committee on Private International Law for the position of Secretary General. The Members of the HCCH warmly congratulated Dr Bernasconi on his recommendation for reappointment. Following the meeting, the Chair of CGAP will advise the Netherlands Standing...
Publication of the HCCH 2022 Annual Report
The Permanent Bureau is pleased to announce the publication of the HCCH 2022 Annual Report. Throughout the past year, the HCCH continued to advance its legislative work and to promote the effective operation of its Conventions, successfully convening the meetings of two Experts’ Groups, three Working Groups, and three Special Commissions, the latter tasked with reviewing the practical...
Publication of the Practical Guide to Access to Justice for International Tourists and Visitors
The Permanent Bureau is pleased to announce the publication of the Practical Guide to Access to Justice for International Tourists and Visitors. The Practical Guide is intended to assist international tourists and visitors to foreign countries seeking access to justice for disputes arising from their tourism experience by providing information on online dispute resolution (ODR) mechanisms that...
Regional Conference – “The HCCH and the Relevance of its Work for Southern Africa”
On 7 and 8 February 2023, the Permanent Bureau of the HCCH has the pleasure of co-organising the Regional Conference “The HCCH and the relevance of its work for Southern Africa”, together with Finland and South Africa, with the participation of Namibia and Tanzania, as well as other Southern African Development Community (SADC) States, and hosted by the University of Pretoria (South...
Publication of the Second Edition of the Practical Handbook on the Operation of the Apostille Convention
The Permanent Bureau is pleased to announce the publication of the second edition of the Practical Handbook on the Operation of the Apostille Convention (Apostille Handbook). The Apostille Handbook, first published in 2013, provides guidance on the practical implementation and operation of the 1961 Apostille Convention, applied tens of millions of times every year to the benefit of individuals,...
Publication of the Practitioners’ Tool: Cross-Border Recognition and Enforcement of Agreements Reached in the Course of Family Matters Involving Children
The Permanent Bureau is pleased to announce the publication of the Practitioners’ Tool: Cross-Border Recognition and Enforcement of Agreements Reached in the Course of Family Matters Involving Children (Practitioners’ Tool). The Practitioners’ Tool aims to explain how agreements made in the area of family law involving children (“family agreements”) can be made...