Hague Conference on Private International Law

The Hague Conference on Private International Law

Member states of the organisation (2015)
Type	Intergovernmental organization
Membership	79 countries and European Union
Secretary General	Christophe Bernasconi
Budget	€ 3,767,360.00 (Primary) € 450,000 (Supplementary)(est.)
Website	official website

The Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH, for Hague Conference/Conférence de La Haye) is the preeminent organisation in the area of private international law. The HCCH was formed in 1893 to "work for the progressive unification of the rules of private international law". It has pursued this goal by creating and assisting in the implementation of multilateral conventions promoting the harmonisation of conflict of laws principles in diverse subject matters within private international law. The Conference has developed thirty-eight international conventions since its Statute was completed in 1951. A significant number of these Conventions are currently in force and mostly focus on conflict of laws rules, administrative cooperation, jurisdiction and applicable law, e.g. on the law applicable to maintenance obligations, accidents in road traffic, the liability products, matrimonial or inheritance. (See List of Hague Conventions on Private International Law.) HCCH Conventions and instruments are open for adoption or ratification by non-members of HCCH.

As of 2015, 79 countries were members of the Hague Conference. Besides all member states of the European Union being members of the Conference, the European Union is itself also a member, making a total of 80 members. In 2005, the Statute of the Conference was amended to permit Regional Economic Integration Organisations to become members, leading to European Union membership in 2007.

Recent developments

The 20th Diplomatic Session of the Conference, held from 14 to 28 June 2005, saw two major developments:

• The statute of the Conference was amended (for the first time in over 50 years) to expand the possibility of membership to Regional Economic Integration Organisations such as the European Union;
• The Conference concluded and opened for ratification the Hague Convention on Choice of Court Agreements, a project which had been in negotiation for nearly 15 years. States applying this instrument agree to recognize and enforce decisions reached by courts of another signatory state if the dispute was governed by a valid choice of court agreement concluded between the parties to the dispute.

The 21st Diplomatic Session, held from 5 to 23 November 2007, led to the adoption of two new instruments: the Convention of 23 November 2007 on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance and the Protocol of 23 November 2007 on the Law Applicable to Maintenance Obligations.

Hans van Loon, Secretary General from 1996 to 2013, was succeeded by Christophe Bernasconi on 1 July 2013.

Members

State	Member since
Albania	4 June 2002
Argentina	28 April 1972
Australia	1 November 1973
Austria	15 July 1955
Belarus	12 July 2001
Belgium	15 July 1955
Bosnia and Herzegovina	7 June 2001
Brazil	23 February 2001
Bulgaria	22 April 1999
Canada	Template:SorttKey
Chile	25 April 1986
China	3 July 1987
Costa Rica	27 January 2011
Croatia	12 June 1995
Cyprus	8 October 1984
Czech Republic	28 January 1993
Denmark	15 July 1955
Ecuador	2 November 2007
Egypt	24 April 1961
Estonia	13 May 1998
European Union	3 April 2007
Finland	2 December 1955
France	20 April 1964
Georgia	28 May 2001
Germany	14 December 1955
Greece	26 August 1955
Hungary	6 January 1987
Iceland	14 November 2003
India	13 March 2008
Ireland	26 August 1955
Israel	24 September 1964
Italy	26 June 1957
Japan	27 June 1957
Jordan	13 June 2001
Latvia	11 August 1992
Lithuania	23 October 2001
Luxembourg	12 March 1956
Malaysia	2 October 2002
Malta	30 January 1995
Mauritius	19 January 2011
Mexico	18 March 1986
Monaco	8 August 1996
Montenegro	1 March 2007
Morocco	6 September 1993
Netherlands	15 July 1955
New Zealand	5 February 2002
Norway	15 July 1955
Panama	29 May 2002
Paraguay	28 June 2005
Peru	29 January 2001
Philippines	14 July 2010
Poland	29 May 1984
Portugal	15 July 1955
Republic of Korea	20 August 1997
Republic of Macedonia	20 September 1993
Romania	10 April 1991
Russia	6 December 2001
Serbia	26 April 2001
Slovakia	26 April 1993
Slovenia	18 June 1992
South Africa	14 February 2002
Spain	15 July 1955
Sri Lanka	27 September 2001
Suriname	7 October 1977
Sweden	15 July 1955
Switzerland	6 May 1957
Turkey	26 August 1955
Ukraine	3 December 2003
United Kingdom	15 July 1955
United States	15 October 1964
Uruguay	27 July 1983
Venezuela	25 July 1979
Vietnam	10 April 2013
Zambia	17 May 2013

Former member states are Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia.

Permanent Bureau

Located in the International Zone alongside many other international organizations and diplomatic missions in The Hague, the Permanent Bureau is the Conference's secretariat. It has regional offices located in Buenos Aires and Hong Kong

See also

• List of Hague Conventions on Private International Law
• Place of the Relevant Intermediary Approach

References

External links

• Hague Conference on Private International Law - official website
  • The Members of the Hague Conference on Private International Law
• INCADAT: the International Child Abduction Database - official website