CGAP 2022: New Members, ratifications and signatures
On 2 March 2022, the Council on General Affairs and Policy (CGAP) of the HCCH welcomed El Salvador as the newest Member of the Organisation. It also witnessed Ecuador and the United States of America sign and/or ratify a number of HCCH Conventions and instruments.
H.E. Ms Carmen María Gallardo Hernández, Ambassador of the Republic of El Salvador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, deposited El Salvador’s instrument of acceptance of the Statute of the HCCH, with El Salvador thus becoming the 91st Member of the HCCH. The Ambassador was accompanied by the Deputy Ambassador, Mr Héctor Enrique Celarié Landaverde. El Salvador has been connected to the work of the HCCH since 1995 and is currently party to the 1961 Apostille, 1980 Child Abduction and 1993 Adoption Conventions.
H.E. Mr Andrés Terán Parral, Ambassador of the Republic of Ecuador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, signed the Convention of 23 November 2007 on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance (Child Support Convention) and the Protocol of 23 November 2007 on the Law Applicable to Maintenance Obligations (Maintenance Obligations Protocol). The Ambassador then deposited Ecuador’s instrument of ratification of the Convention and Protocol. The Ambassador was accompanied by Mr Oscar Izquierdo, Minister Chargé d’Affaires a.i.. The Child Support Convention and the Protocol will enter into force for Ecuador on 1 July 2022. With the ratification of Ecuador, 43 States and the European Union are bound by the Child Support Convention, and 30 States and the European Union are bound by the Maintenance Obligations Protocol. More information is available on the Child Support Section of the HCCH website. Ecuador has been a Member of the HCCH since 2007 and is now a Contracting Party to six HCCH instruments.
Finally, Ms Jennifer DeWitt Walsh, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, on behalf of the United States of America, signed the Convention of 2 July 2019 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters (Judgments Convention). Ms DeWitt Walsh was accompanied by Ms Emily Kimball, Legal Counsellor, and Ms Lara Berlin, Deputy Legal Counsellor. Although the 2019 Judgments Convention is not yet in force, the United States of America is its sixth signatory. More information on this Convention is available on the Judgments Section of the HCCH website. The United States of America has been a Member of the HCCH since 1964 and is currently a Contracting Party to seven HCCH Conventions.
