New Members, new requests and new accessions

On 4 March 2020, during the meeting of the Council on General Affairs and Policy (CGAP), the Dominican Republic and the Republic of Uzbekistan, deposited their instruments of acceptance of the Statute, thus becoming the 84th and 85th Members of the HCCH, respectively. 

The Dominican Republic was represented at the ceremony by Mr Braulio Alcantara, Legal Director, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ms Acsamary Guzmán Nina, Minister Counsellor, Embassy of the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is currently party to four HCCH Conventions. 

Uzbekistan was represented by H.E. Mr Ruslanbek Davletov, Minister of Justice and Dr Mirvokhid Azimov, Director General, Treaty and Law Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Uzbekistan is currently party to three HCCH Conventions.

During the same ceremony, the Kingdom of Thailand and the Republic of Nicaragua applied to become Members of the HCCH. After the mandatory 6-month voting period and upon majority of favourable votes, Thailand and Nicaragua will be admitted as Members. They will then have to accept the Statute of the HCCH to become a Member.

Thailand was represented by H.E. Prof. Wisit Wisitsora, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice. Thailand is currently party to two HCCH Conventions.

Nicaragua was represented by H.E. Dr Carlos Argüello Gomez, Ambassador. Nicaragua is currently party to six HCCH Conventions.

CGAP also witnessed the deposit, by the Republic of the Philippines,  of its instrument of accession to the Convention of 15 November 1965 on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters (Service Convention). The Philippines was represented by Mr José Eduardo Malaya, Undersecretary for Administration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and H.E. Mr Diosdado Peralta, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Mr Jose Midas Marques, Administrator of the Supreme Court and H.E. Mr Jaime Victor B. Ledda, Ambassador, also attended the ceremony. With the accession of Philippines, the Service Convention now has 76 Contracting Parties. The Convention will enter into force for the Philippines on 1 October 2020, in the absence of an objection from a Contracting Party having already ratified the Convention (pursuant to Art. 28). The Philippines has been a Member of the HCCH since 2010 and is now bound by four HCCH Conventions.

CGAP also witnessed the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam deposit its instrument of accession to the Convention of 18 March 1970 on the Taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil or Commercial Matters (“Evidence Convention”). Viet Nam was represented by Mrs Pham Ho Huong, Deputy Director of the International Law Department of the Ministry of Justice. With this accession, the Evidence Convention now counts 63 Contracting Parties. The Convention will enter into force for Viet Nam on 3 May 2020. Viet Nam has been a Member of the HCCH since 2013 and is now bound by three HCCH Conventions.

Finally, on the same occasion, Ukraine signed the Convention of 2 July 2019 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters (Judgments Convention). Ukraine was represented by H.E. Mr Vsevolod Chentsov, Ambassador. Ukraine is the second signatory of the Judgments Convention. Ukraine has been a Member of the HCCH since 2003 and is bound by ten other HCCH Conventions.