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Today, 11 August 2026, the Republic of Indonesia deposited its instrument of acceptance of the Statute of the HCCH, thus becoming its 94th Member. At the ceremony, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, depositary of the HCCH Conventions, Indonesia was represented by: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia H.E. Mr Ricky Suhendar, Director General of…
On 1 August 2026, the Convention of 25 October 1980 on International Access to Justice (1980 Access to Justice Convention) entered into force for Ukraine following the deposit of its instrument of accession on 21 May 2026. The 1980 Access to Justice Convention has 29 Contracting Parties. More information on this Convention is available on the Access to Justice Section of the HCCH website. Ukraine…
On 9 July 2026, the Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (1961 Apostille Convention) entered into force for the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria following the deposit of its instrument of accession on 5 November 2025. The 1961 Apostille Convention has 130 Contracting Parties. More information on this Convention is available on…
Today, 30 June 2026, the Kingdom of Thailand deposited its instrument of accession to the Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (1961 Apostille Convention). At the ceremony, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, depositary of the HCCH Conventions, Thailand was represented by: H.E. Mr Asi Mamanee, Ambassador to the…
From 15 to 19 June 2026, the Experts' Group (EG) on Carbon Markets met for the fourth time. The meeting, held in hybrid format, had approximately 55 registered delegates and other experts, representing 19 HCCH Members and seven Observers, in addition to members of the Permanent Bureau of the HCCH. Pursuant to its mandate (C&D No 18 of CGAP 2025 and C&D No 12 of CGAP 2026), the EG made further…
On 27 May 2026, the fourth meeting of the Working Group (WG) on the operation of Article 33 of the 1996 Child Protection Convention was held online, hosted by the Permanent Bureau (PB). The meeting had approximately 65 registered delegates and other experts, representing 31 HCCH Members, two Observer non-Member Contracting Parties and one Observer organisation, in addition to members of the PB.…
On 1 June 2026, the Convention of 2 July 2019 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters (2019 Judgments Convention) entered into force for the Principality of Andorra following the deposit of its instrument of accession on 13 May 2025. At present, 33 HCCH Members are bound by the 2019 Judgments Convention. More information on this Convention is…
On 21 May 2026, Ukraine deposited its instrument of accession to the Convention of 25 October 1980 on International Access to Justice (1980 Access to Justice Convention). At the ceremony, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, depositary of the HCCH Conventions, Ukraine was represented by H.E. Mr Andriy Kostin, Ambassador to the Netherlands, and Ms Mariia Bezdieniezhna, Legal…
On 21 May 2026, the sixth meeting of the Working Group (WG) on the Financial Aspects of Intercountry Adoption was held online, hosted by the Permanent Bureau (PB). The meeting had around 35 registered delegates and other experts, representing 16 HCCH Members, three Observer non-Member Contracting Parties, and three Observer organisations, in addition to Members of the PB. Pursuant to its mandate,…
On 12 and 13 May 2026, the 14th International Forum on the electronic Apostille Programme (e-APP) took place in Marrakech, Morocco. Marking the 20th anniversary of the e-APP, the Forum was also the first edition ever held in Africa. It was organised by the HCCH Regional Office for Africa, with the support of the Ministry of Justice of Morocco. Held in a hybrid format, the Forum brought together…
On 13 May 2026, the third meeting of the Working Group (WG) on the operation of Article 33 of the 1996 Child Protection Convention was held online, hosted by the Permanent Bureau (PB). The meeting had close to 65 registered delegates and other experts, representing 31 HCCH Members, two Observer non-Member Contracting Parties and one Observer organisation, in addition to members of the PB. Pursuant…
On 12 May 2026, the Working Party on Cross-Border Family Mediation in the Context of the Malta Process (Working Party on Mediation) met online. The meeting had 25 registered participants, representing 13 HCCH Members and one Observer non-Member Contracting Party to the 1980 Child Abduction Convention, in addition to members of the Permanent Bureau of the HCCH. During the meeting, participants from…
From 28 April to 1 May 2026, the Experts' Group (EG) on Digital Tokens met for the third time. The meeting, held in hybrid format, had over 55 registered delegates and other experts, representing 18 HCCH Members and nine Observers, in addition to members of the Permanent Bureau of the HCCH. Pursuant to its mandate, the EG made further progress on the study of the private international law (PIL)…
On 23 April 2026, the fifth meeting of the Working Group (WG) on the Financial Aspects of Intercountry Adoption was held online, hosted by the Permanent Bureau (PB). The meeting had over 30 registered delegates and other experts, representing 16 HCCH Members, three Observer non-Member Contracting Parties, and three Observer organisations, in addition to Members of the PB. Pursuant to its mandate,…
On 22 April 2026, the second meeting of the Working Group (WG) on the operation of Article 33 of the 1996 Child Protection Convention was held online, hosted by the Permanent Bureau (PB). The meeting had close to 65 registered delegates and other experts, representing 31 HCCH Members, two Observer non-Member Contracting Parties and one Observer organisation, in addition to members of the PB.…
From 15 to 17 April 2026, the High-Level Conference on the Universalisation of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) and the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) was held in Dakar (Senegal). It brought together over 65 participants representing 17 States and five intergovernmental organisations, including the Secretaries General of the two organisations. The conference convened…
In March 2024, the Council on General Affairs and Policy (CGAP) mandated the establishment of a Working Group (WG) on the operation of Article 33 of the 1996 Child Protection Convention, first, to develop a Model Form and, subsequently, a Guide on the application of Article 33 (see C&D No 26 of CGAP 2024). The first meeting of the WG was held online on 8 April 2026, hosted by the Permanent Bureau…
From 30 March to 1 April 2026, the Experts' Group (EG) on Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) held its fifth meeting. The meeting, held online, had over 45 registered delegates and other experts, representing 14 HCCH Members and six Observers, in addition to members of the Permanent Bureau (PB) of the HCCH. Pursuant to its mandate (C&D No 10 of CGAP 2026), the EG continued to make progress in…
In March 2025, the Council on General Affairs and Policy (CGAP) of the HCCH mandated the Permanent Bureau (PB) to convene online meetings for Central Authorities to exchange experiences in relation to the operation of the 1965 Service, 1970 Evidence, and 1980 Access to Justice Conventions. The first of these online meetings was held on 24 March 2026, hosted by the PB. The meeting had close to 125…
The Permanent Bureau (PB) is pleased to announce that registration is now open for participation in the 14th International Forum on the electronic Apostille Programme (e-APP Forum), which will take place on Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 May 2026 in Marrakesh, Morocco. To be held for the first time in Africa, this edition of the e-APP Forum will be organised by the HCCH's Regional Office for Africa,…
From 9 to 11 March 2026, the Regional Workshop on Sharing Experiences on the Effective Implementation of the 1993 Adoption Convention in Africa (Anglophone) (Regional Workshop) was held in Cape Town (South Africa). It was attended by over 50 participants representing 10 Contracting Parties to the 1993 Adoption Convention, six non-Contracting Parties, one intergovernmental organisation, and one…
The Council on General Affairs and Policy (CGAP) of the HCCH met from 3 to 6 March 2026. The meeting was attended by 560 participants, representing 80 HCCH Members, 12 non-Member States, seven intergovernmental organisations, and 12 international non-governmental organisations, as well as members of the Permanent Bureau (PB). The Conclusions & Decisions adopted by CGAP are now available in…
Today, 4 March 2026, during its annual meeting, the Council on General Affairs and Policy of the HCCH welcomed the Republic of Guatemala as a new Member of the Organisation. H.E. Ms Ana Cristina Rodr guez Pineda, Ambassador to the Netherlands, deposited Guatemala's instrument of acceptance of the Statute of the HCCH, with Guatemala thus becoming the 93rd Member of the HCCH. Guatemala has been…
The Permanent Bureau is pleased to announce the publication of the HCCH 2025 Annual Report. Throughout the past year, the HCCH continued to advance its legislative work and to promote the effective operation of its Conventions, successfully convening the meetings of four Experts' Group and six Working Groups. Other notable highlights included the establishment of a new Experts' Group on Digital…
On 1 March 2026, the Convention of 30 June 2005 on Choice of Court Agreements (2005 Choice of Court Convention) entered into force for the Principality of Monaco following the deposit of its instrument of accession on 27 November 2025. At present, 38 States and the European Union are bound by the 2005 Choice of Court Convention. More information on this Convention is available on the Choice of…
On 1 March 2026, the Convention of 2 July 2019 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters (2019 Judgments Convention) entered into force for Montenegro following the deposit of its instrument of ratification on 21 February 2025. At present, 33 HCCH Members are either bound by the 2019 Judgments Convention or a Contracting Party for which the Convention…
On 1 March 2026, the Convention of 2 July 2019 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters (2019 Judgments Convention) entered into force for the Republic of Albania following the deposit of its instrument of ratification on 13 February 2025. At present, 33 HCCH Members are either bound by the 2019 Judgments Convention or a Contracting Party for which the…
On 7 February 2025, the Convention of 23 November 2007 on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance (2007 Child Support Convention) entered into force for El Salvador following the deposit of its instrument of accession on 6 February 2025. At present, 55 States and the European Union are bound by the 2007 Child Support Convention. More information on this…
From 2 to 4 February 2026, the seventh meeting of the International Transfer of Maintenance Funds Experts' Group (ITMFEG) was held online, hosted by the Permanent Bureau (PB). The meeting had close to 60 registered delegates and other experts, representing 26 HCCH Members and two Observers, in addition to members of the PB. Pursuant to its mandate (C&R No 30 of CGAP 2019), the ITMFEG continued its…
The Permanent Bureau has been informed that, on 31 December 2025, the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam deposited its instrument of accession to the Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (1961 Apostille Convention). With the accession of Viet Nam, the 1961 Apostille Convention now has 129 Contracting Parties. It will enter into force for…
On 1 January 2026, the Convention of 19 October 1996 on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforcement and Co-operation in respect of Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children (1996 Child Protection Convention) entered into force for the Argentine Republic following the deposit of its instrument of ratification on 18 September 2025. The 1996 Child Protection…
On 1 January 2026, the Convention of 19 October 1996 on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforcement and Co-operation in respect of Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children (1996 Child Protection Convention) entered into force for the Republic of Moldova following the deposit of its instrument of accession on 11 March 2025. The 1996 Child Protection Convention…
The Permanent Bureau is pleased to announce the conclusion of the e-Country Profiles project, resulting in the development and modernisation of online Country Profiles for a number of key HCCH Conventions: - 1965 Service Convention - 1970 Evidence Convention - 1980 Child Abduction Convention - 1993 Adoption Convention - ..
In March 2023, the Council on General Affairs and Policy (CGAP) of the HCCH endorsed the holding, both in States of origin and receiving States, of State-led virtual workshops on post-adoption services. Following this meeting, a Steering Committee for the organisation of virtual workshops on post-adoption services (Steering Committee) was established. The first virtual workshop was held in 2023,…
On 11 December 2025, the Permanent Bureau of the HCCH hosted a book launch for the publication of The Hague Convention on Choice of Court Agreements: A Commentary, in celebration of the tenth anniversary of the entry into force of the 2005 Choice of Court Convention. The book is co-authored by Professor Gilles Cuniberti (University of Luxembourg), Associate Professor Brooke Marshall (University of…
On 1 December 2025, the third meeting of the Working Group established to finalise the Good Practices document relevant to the 1965 Service, 1970 Evidence, and 1980 Access to Justice Conventions (WG) was held online, hosted by the Permanent Bureau (PB) of the HCCH. The meeting had close to 30 registered delegates representing 17 HCCH Members, in addition to members of the PB. Pursuant to its…
From 2 to 4 December 2025, the Experts' Group (EG) on Carbon Markets met for the third time. The meeting, held in hybrid format, had over 50 registered delegates and other experts, representing 19 HCCH Members and seven Observers, in addition to members of the Permanent Bureau (PB) of the HCCH. Pursuant to its mandate (C&D No 18 of CGAP 2025), the EG made further progress on the study of the…
Today, 4 December 2025, the Republic of Indonesia applied to become a Member of the HCCH. At the ceremony, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, depositary of the HCCH Conventions, H.E. Mr L. Amrih Jinangkung, Director General of Legal Affairs and International Treaties at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, presented Indonesia's official request for Membership to…
From 10 to 14 November 2025, the Working Group (WG) on Parentage / Surrogacy met for the fifth time. The meeting, held in hybrid format, had over 45 registered delegates and other experts, representing 24 HCCH Members and three Observers, in addition to members of the Permanent Bureau of the HCCH. Pursuant to its mandate, the WG continued its consideration of draft provisions for one new…
On 27 November 2025, the Principality of Monaco deposited its instrument of accession to the Convention of 30 June 2005 on Choice of Court Agreements (2005 Choice of Court Convention). At the ceremony, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, depositary of the HCCH Conventions, Monaco was represented by H.E. Mr Fr d ric Labarr re, Ambassador to the Netherlands, and Mr Johannes…
On 26 November 2025, the Working Party on Cross-Border Family Mediation in the Context of the Malta Process (Working Party on Mediation) met online. The meeting had over 30 registered participants, representing 16 HCCH Members and two Observer States, in addition to members of the Permanent Bureau of the HCCH. During the meeting, participants heard about the system of cross-border mediation and…
On 20 November 2025, the Permanent Bureau (PB) of the HCCH hosted HCCH a|Bridged - Edition 2025, dedicated to the 2019 Judgments Convention. The online event had over 190 registered participants from 57 States, representing HCCH Members, non-Member States, intergovernmental organisations, non-governmental organisations, and independent experts. International experts convened to discuss the…
On 25 November 2025, the third meeting of the Working Group established to finalise the Model Forms pertaining to Chapter II of the 1970 Evidence Convention (WG) was held online, hosted by the Permanent Bureau (PB) of the HCCH. The meeting had 50 registered delegates and other experts, representing 24 HCCH Members and one Observer, in addition to members of the PB. Pursuant to its mandate (C&D No…
From 18 to 20 November 2025, the Experts' Group (EG) on Digital Tokens met for the second time. The meeting, held in hybrid format, had over 50 registered delegates and other experts, representing 17 HCCH Members and eight Observers, in addition to members of the Permanent Bureau of the HCCH. Pursuant to its mandate, the EG made further progress on the study of the private international law (PIL)…
The Permanent Bureau of the HCCH is pleased to announce the launch of a public consultation on the Draft Text of a possible new convention on parallel proceedings and related actions, to be held from 18 November 2025 to 26 January 2026. Experts, practitioners and judges from diverse legal traditions with experience in cross-border litigation and private international law more broadly are…
The Permanent Bureau (PB) of the HCCH is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the book launch celebrating the publication of The Hague Convention on Choice of Court Agreements: A Commentary, to be held in hybrid format on 11 December 2025 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. (CET), with online participation open to the public. The book launch will coincide with the tenth anniversary of the…
Today, 5 November 2025, the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria deposited its instrument of accession to the Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (1961 Apostille Convention). At the ceremony, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, depositary of the HCCH Conventions, Algeria was represented by H.E. Ms Salima…
From 27 to 30 October 2025, the HCCH and the Government of Brazil co-hosted the Second Forum on Domestic Violence and the 1980 Child Abduction Convention - with a focus on the Operation of Article 13(1)(b) (see Conclusion and Decision No 26 of CGAP 2025) in Fortaleza. The Forum had almost 500 registered participants, of which over 150 in person, representing HCCH Members, non-Member Contracting…
From 20 to 24 October 2025, the Working Group (WG) on Matters Related to Jurisdiction in Transnational Civil or Commercial Litigation met for the ninth time. The meeting, held in hybrid format, had 60 registered delegates and other experts, representing 20 HCCH Members and two Observers, in addition to members of the Permanent Bureau of the HCCH. Pursuant to its mandate, the WG made further…
From 8 to 10 October 2025, the Experts' Group (EG) on Carbon Markets held its second meeting. The meeting, held in hybrid format, had 70 registered delegates and other experts, representing 22 HCCH Members and six Observers, in addition to members of the Permanent Bureau (PB) of the HCCH. Pursuant to its mandate (C&D No 18 of CGAP 2025), the EG made further progress on the study of the private…