Publication of the Practical Handbook on the Operation of the 2000 Protection of Adults Convention

The Permanent Bureau (PB) is pleased to announce the publication of the Practical Handbook on the Operation of the 2000 Protection of Adults Convention (Practical Handbook).

The Practical Handbook is intended to assist current and prospective Contracting Parties to the 2000 Protection of Adults Convention by providing practical guidance on the implementation and operation of the Convention, which provides for the protection in international situations of adults who, by reason of an impairment or insufficiency of their personal faculties, are not in a position to protect their interests. The Practical Handbook draws upon the experiences and practical examples provided by experts from Contracting Parties with experience in the implementation and operation of the Convention, as well as by experts from States which are considering becoming Parties to the Convention.

The development of the draft Practical Handbook was led by a Working Group (WG) established in 2021 at the request of the Council on General Affairs and Policy (CGAP) of the HCCH, following preparatory work conducted by the PB. The first revised version of the Practical Handbook was approved, in principle, at the First Meeting of the Special Commission (SC) on the Practical Operation of the 2000 Protection of Adults Convention, held in November 2022. The WG continued to work on the Practical Handbook from 2022 to 2024, holding further consultations with HCCH Members and other interested parties. The Practical Handbook was circulated to HCCH Members again in February 2024 and, following a two-month consultation period, was approved in April 2024.

The PB wishes to express its gratitude to the WG members, to the SC participants, and to all other experts whose efforts and dedication have contributed to the development of this publication.

The Practical Handbook on the Operation of the 2000 Protection of Adults Convention is now available for download in English and French and will become available for download in Spanish in due course.