First Meeting of the Special Commission on the Practical Operation of the 2007 Child Support Convention and 2007 Maintenance Obligations Protocol
From 17 to 19 May 2022, the First Meeting of the Special Commission on the 2007 Child Support Convention and 2007 Maintenance Obligations Protocol was held in The Hague. The meeting was attended by over 200 delegates, both in person and remotely, representing HCCH Members, non‑Member States, and Observers from intergovernmental and international non‑governmental organisations, as well as members of the Permanent Bureau.
The Special Commission reviewed and clarified a number of issues in relation to the practical operation of the 2007 Child Support Convention and its Protocol, based on information submitted by Members and Contracting Parties via a questionnaire which confirms that, in general, the Convention is operating smoothly and is fit for purpose.
Delegates discussed, among other things, recognition and enforcement matters, reviewed the use of mandatory and recommended forms, and exchanged experiences on the installation and use of iSupport. The Special Commission also reviewed progress made by the Administrative Cooperation Working Group (ACWG), the Forms Working Group, the Applicable Law Working Group (ALWG) on the 2007 Maintenance Obligations Protocol as well as the Experts’ Group on International Transfer of Maintenance Funds (ITMF EG). In this regard, the Special Commission adopted a number of Preliminary Documents and set the work programme for the years to come.
The Special Commission adopted over 80 Conclusions & Recommendations, which are available on the HCCH website in English and French. Additional information on the 2007 Child Support Convention and its Protocol can be found here.