Informal brainstorming session on future meetings of the Special Commission on the 1980 Child Abduction and 1996 Child Protection Conventions
From 18 to 21 November 2024, an informal brainstorming session on future meetings of the Special Commission (SC) on the 1980 Child Abduction and 1996 Child Protection Conventions was held online, hosted by the Permanent Bureau (PB) in The Hague. It was attended by over 80 participants representing 29 Members, as well as by members of the PB. As mandated by the Council on General Affairs and...
Regional Workshop on Intercountry Adoption: Sharing Experiences on the Effective Implementation of the 1993 Adoption Convention in Africa
From 13 to 15 November 2024, the Regional Workshop on Intercountry Adoption: Sharing Experiences on the Effective Implementation of the 1993 Adoption Convention in Africa (Regional Workshop) was held in Lomé (Togo). It was attended by approximately 60 participants representing 11 Contracting Parties to the 1993 Adoption Convention, one non-Contracting Party, one intergovernmental...
Second Working Meeting of the Experts’ Group on Central Bank Digital Currencies
From 12 to 14 November 2024, the Experts’ Group (EG) on Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) held its second working meeting. The meeting was held online, hosted by the Permanent Bureau (PB) in The Hague. It was attended by 25 delegates and other experts, representing 10 HCCH Members and 3 Observers, as well as by members of the PB of the HCCH. Pursuant to its mandate (C&Ds No 9-10...
Seventh Meeting of the Working Group on Jurisdiction
From 28 October to 1 November 2024, the Working Group (WG) on Matters Related to Jurisdiction in Transnational Civil or Commercial Litigation met for the seventh time. The meeting was held in person in Tokyo (Japan) with the possibility for online participation, in accordance with the mandate of the Council on General Affairs and Policy (C&Ds No 4-5). It was attended by 66 delegates and other...
13th International Forum on the electronic Apostille Programme (e-APP)
On 21 and 22 October 2024, the 13th International Forum on the electronic Apostille Programme (e-APP) took place in Astana, Kazakhstan. The Forum was the first to be held in Central Asia and was jointly organised by the HCCH, the Ministry of Justice of Kazakhstan, and the Maqsut Narikbayev University (see Conclusion and Decision No 51 of CGAP 2024). The 13th e-APP Forum was conducted in a hybrid...
Fifth Meeting of the Working Group established to complete the Country Profile and work on the draft Cooperation Request Recommended Model Form for the 1996 Child Protection Convention
In March 2024, the Council on General Affairs and Policy (CGAP) approved the establishment of a Working Group (WG) to first complete the Country Profile for the 1996 Child Protection Convention and then to progress work on the draft Cooperation Request Recommended Model Form under the 1996 Child Protection Convention (see Conclusion and Decisions Nos 23-24 of CGAP 2024). The fifth meeting of...
Second Working Meeting of the Digital Tokens Project
The second working meeting of the Digital Tokens Project was held in hybrid format from 7 to 8 October 2024, hosted by the Permanent Bureau (PB) in The Hague. The meeting was attended by 41 participants, identified to the PB by 14 HCCH Members and seven Observers, as well as by members of the PB. During the meeting, participants discussed intersessional submissions in response to the project...
Fifth Conference on the HCCH Children’s Conventions as Bridges between Civil / Common Law and Islamic Law (Malta V)
From 24 to 27 September 2024, the HCCH and the Government of Malta co-hosted the Fifth Conference on the HCCH Children’s Conventions as Bridges between Civil / Common Law and Islamic Law (Malta V) (see Conclusion and Decision No 30 of CGAP 2024). The conference was organised within the framework of the Malta Process, initiated by the HCCH in 2004 to facilitate dialogue and promote...
Update on the e-APP
Designed to facilitate the authentication of public documents for use abroad, the electronic Apostille Programme (e-APP) has become an integral part of the operation of the Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (1961 Apostille Convention). The e-APP has two components, which can be implemented separately or together: The...
13th International Forum on the e-APP: Registration now open!
The Permanent Bureau is pleased to announce that registration is now open for participation in the 13th International Forum on the electronic Apostille Programme (e-APP), which will take place on Monday 21 October and Tuesday 22 October 2024 in Astana, Kazakhstan. To be held for the first time in Central Asia, the Forum will be jointly organised by the HCCH, the Ministry...