30th Anniversary of the UNCRC
Today, 20 November 2019, marks the 30th Anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Recognising the importance of this milestone in the development of children’s rights, the HCCH also wishes to recall the role played by the following HCCH Children’s Conventions and Protocol in the day-to-day implementation of the UNCRC worldwide: ...
Sixth meeting of the Experts’ Group on Parentage / Surrogacy
From 29 October to 1 November 2019, the Experts’ Group on Parentage / Surrogacy met for the sixth time in The Hague. The meeting was attended by 22 Experts from different States, three observers and members of the Permanent Bureau. The mandate of the Group is “to explore the feasibility of advancing work (…) on the private international law issues surrounding the status...
iSupport – new EU grant
The Permanent Bureau of the HCCH is pleased to announce a new successful EU Action Grant application for iSupport. This new project will be called iSupport ISD (Information, Statistics and Design), as it will aim to provide better information for parties and caseworkers, facilitate the production of statistics for Central Authorities and modernise the design of the software. iSupport is an...
Palau accedes to the Apostille Convention
On 17 October 2019, the Republic of Palau deposited its instrument of accession to the HCCH Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (HCCH Apostille Convention). With the accession of Palau, the HCCH Apostille Convention now has 118 Contracting Parties; it will enter into force for Palau on 23 June 2020. Palau joins other small island...
Now available: C&R of the 11th e-APP Forum
From 16 to 18 October 2019 the 11th International Forum on the electronic Apostille Programme (e-APP Forum) was held in Fortaleza, Brazil. Over 350 participants from over 40 Contracting and Non-Contracting Parties to the HCCH Convention on Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (Apostille Convention) attended this 11th Forum. The Conclusions and Recommendations...
Available now: When Private International Law Meets Intellectual Property – A Guide for Judges
The Permanent Bureau is pleased to announce that “When Private International Law Meets Intellectual Property – A Guide for Judges” (Guide), which is co-authored by Annabelle Bennett (Australia) and Sam Granata (Belgium), with the co-ordination of the Secretariats of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the HCCH, is now available in English. The French version...
HCCH a|Bridged Edition 2019: Registration now open!
The Permanent Bureau is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the inaugural edition of HCCH a|Bridged, which will take place at the Academy Building on the grounds of the Peace Palace, in The Hague, Netherlands on Wednesday 11 December 2019. HCCH a|Bridged will convene experts and stakeholders from around the world in The Hague to explore and debate the very latest in...
1980 Child Abduction Convention enters into force for Barbados
On 1 October 2019, the HCCH Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (Child Abduction Convention) entered into force for Barbados, following the deposit of its instrument of accession on 11 July 2019. The Child Abduction Convention currently has 101 Contracting Parties. More information is available on the Child Abduction Section of the HCCH...
Updated Agenda: 11th International Forum on the e-APP
The Permanent Bureau is pleased to announce that an updated version of the draft Agenda for the 11th International Forum on the e-APP (electronic Apostille Programme), which will take place in Fortaleza (Brazil), from Wednesday 16 to Friday 18 October 2019, is now available on the Apostille Section of the HCCH website. Although the deadline for...
Meeting of the Experts’ Group on International Transfer of Maintenance Funds
From 16 to 18 September 2019, the Experts’ Group on International Transfer of Maintenance Funds met at the Permanent Bureau (PB) of the HCCH in The Hague. The meeting was attended by 19 experts as well as members of the PB. The experts represented 11 States, the European Union, the National Child Support Enforcement Association (USA) and the financial sector. Participants discussed good...