HCCH - Hague Conference on Private International Law

Today, the HCCH celebrates an important milestone: the 30th anniversary of the 1996 Child Protection Convention! Across three decades, the 1996 Child Protection Convention has provided States with a global legal framework for effectively protecting children in a wide-range of cross-border situations: international parental disputes, international child abduction, displacement caused by conflict or crisis, and cross-border placements and other care arrangements. To this effect, the Convention establishes a system to determine which authorities have jurisdiction; designate the applicable law; ensure the recognition and enforcement of measures of protection; and facilitate international cooperation. The origins of the 1996 Child Protection Convention can be traced back to a decision taken by the States represented at the Seventeenth Diplomatic Session of the HCCH, at which the 1993 Adoption Convention was adopted. In carrying out this decision, the HCCH established a Special Commission which held three meetings between May 1994 and September 1995. This Special Commission drew up a preliminary draft text which, with the Report which accompanied it, served as a basis for the discussions held at the Eighteenth Diplomatic Session of the HCCH, held in The Hague from 30 September to 19 October 1996. These discussions resulted in the unanimous adoption of the 1996 Child Protection Convention. The adoption of the 1996 Child Protection Convention was just the beginning: over the past 30 years, the Members and Permanent Bureau of the HCCH have worked ceaselessly to ensure the effective implementation and operation of the Convention, through Special Commissions, Working Groups, publications and many other activities. We invite you to explore and revisit some of the highlights of this work in the slides below. Do you recognise yourself in any of these photos? Share it in the comments! #HCCH #childprotection #privateinternationallaw #internationallaw

Montenegro has acceded to the 2000 Protection of Adults Convention! With this accession, the 2000 Protection of Adults Convention now has 17 Contracting Parties. It will enter into force for Montenegro on 1 August 2027. For more information, please visit: https://lnkd.in/eJWtuGRX #HCCH #Montenegro #privateinternationallaw #internationallaw #protectionofadults

Nigeria has much to gain from the HCCH – and much to contribute to it! Yesterday, I had the great pleasure of meeting with H.E. Dr Mohammed Idris Haidara, Ambassador of Nigeria to the Netherlands, at the Nigerian Embassy in The Hague. Our warm and constructive exchange focused on the opportunities for Nigeria to become part of the HCCH’s global network of legal cooperation. Nigeria is not yet a Member of the HCCH, nor a Contracting Party to any of its Conventions. Yet the potential benefits are considerable: simplifying the international circulation of public documents through the Apostille Convention; strengthening legal certainty for international trade and investment through the Choice of Court and Judgments Conventions; facilitating cross-border judicial cooperation; and enhancing the protection of children and families. Our dialogue with Nigeria goes back several years, including my visit to Abuja in 2021 and, more recently, the visit of the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria and her delegation to the HCCH’s Permanent Bureau. These exchanges provide an encouraging foundation on which to build. But this is not a one-way street. Nigeria’s distinguished legal tradition, economic importance and leading role on the African continent would bring valuable perspectives and experience to the HCCH and its work. After all, effective multilateralism is about more than increasing participation. It is about bringing different legal traditions, cultures and perspectives together, respecting their diversity and developing practical legal bridges that benefit people and businesses across borders. My sincere thanks to Ambassador Haidara for his warm welcome and our excellent discussion. I very much hope that we can now translate this promising dialogue into concrete steps towards Nigeria's participation in HCCH Conventions and, ultimately, membership of the Organisation. #HCCH #Nigeria #PrivateInternationalLaw #Multilateralism #LegalCooperation

Entre el 30 de septiembre y el 2 de octubre de 2026, se celebró en Toluca, México, la Reunión Latinoamericana de Autoridades Centrales y Jueces de la Red Internacional de La Haya sobre los Convenios HCCH sobre Sustracción de Niños de 1980 y Protección de Niños de 1996. La reunión fue organizada por la Oficina Regional para América Latina y el Caribe de la HCCH, en conjunto con el Poder Judicial y la Escuela Judicial del Estado de México. Congregó a 50 participantes presenciales y 21 virtuales, entre representantes de países de América Latina, así como de España y Estados Unidos, reuniendo en total a 18 Estados. El encuentro ofreció un espacio para continuar fortaleciendo la cooperación regional y compartir experiencias, buenas prácticas y desafíos en la implementación y el funcionamiento de ambos Convenios. A lo largo de las jornadas se dio seguimiento a las conclusiones y recomendaciones de la Comisión Especial de 2023 y a las reflexiones surgidas de los Foros sobre Violencia Doméstica celebrados en Sandton (2024) y Fortaleza (2025). Los intercambios abordaron la urgencia en la tramitación y ejecución de los casos de restitución internacional, la excepción de grave riesgo del artículo 13(1)(b), la cooperación entre Autoridades Centrales y jueces de la Red, las comunicaciones judiciales directas y la relación del Convenio de 1980 con los instrumentos internacionales de derechos humanos. Asimismo, se profundizó el trabajo sobre el Convenio de 1996, su complementariedad con el Convenio de 1980 y los mecanismos de cooperación para su aplicación. Los intercambios reafirmaron la importancia de una aplicación ágil y efectiva de los Convenios y de una cooperación cada vez más estrecha entre Autoridades Centrales y jueces, orientada a encontrar respuestas prácticas para los desafíos que plantean los casos y garantizar una protección efectiva de los niños más allá de las fronteras. Las actividades fueron coordinadas por Ignacio Goicoechea, Representante de la HCCH para América Latina y el Caribe, junto con Florencia Castro, Coordinadora Jurídica y de Administración de la Oficina Regional, y Laura Martínez-Mora, Primera Secretaria de la Oficina Permanente de la HCCH. La HCCH agradece especialmente al Poder Judicial y a la Escuela Judicial del Estado de México por su compromiso y colaboración en la organización de estas jornadas, y expresa su sincero reconocimiento al Magistrado Héctor Macedo García, Presidente del Tribunal Superior de Justicia del Estado de México; al Magistrado Dr. José Luis Embris Vásquez, Director General de la Escuela Judicial del Estado de México; y a la Magistrada Blanca Colmenares Sánchez, miembro de la Red Internacional de Jueces de La Haya por México, cuyo apoyo y permanente disposición fueron fundamentales para el éxito de este encuentro. #HCCH #ROLAC #ChildAbduction #ChildProtection #InternationalCooperation #InternationalFamilyLaw #LatinAmericaAndTheCaribbean

Don’t forget to register by this Friday, 9 October, to attend the 𝗛𝗖𝗖𝗛-𝗜𝗗𝗟𝗢 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻! The HCCH-IDLO Dialogue will be held on Thursday 15 October 2026, from 12.00 to 1.00 p.m. (CEST), and will explore the benefits and opportunities digitalisation offers to judiciaries, governments and legal practitioners worldwide, highlighting innovative approaches through practical examples. The HCCH will share its experience with the e-Country Profiles, which provide information on the implementation of seven HCCH Conventions by Contracting Parties, while IDLO will present its experience with the digitalisation of legal training in the Philippines. Drawing on these practical experiences, the dialogue will explore how digital tools can strengthen legal cooperation and capacity development, while encouraging practitioners to advance digitalisation in ways that are fair, inclusive, and equitable. Interested persons should register no later than Friday 9 October via the following registration form: https://lnkd.in/eWFp462E. A Teams link will be sent to registered participants closer to the date. Representatives of HCCH Members and of non-Member Contracting Parties to the Service, Evidence, Child Abduction, Adoption, Child Protection, Protection of Adults, and Child Support Conventions are invited to consult Focused Circular No 49 of 22 September 2026 for further details. #HCCH #IDLO #privateinternationallaw #internationallaw #digitalisation #digitaltransformation #egovernment IDLO - International Development Law Organization

Register now to participate in the HCCH-IDLO Dialogue on Accelerating Justice Delivery through Public Access to Legal Information! This is the third in a series of three dialogues co-organised by the Hague Conference on Private International Law and the International Development Law Organization. The dialogue will explore the benefits and opportunities digitalisation offers to judiciaries, governments and legal practitioners worldwide, highlighting innovative approaches through practical examples. The HCCH will share its experience with the e-Country Profiles, which provide information on the implementation of seven HCCH Conventions by Contracting Parties, while IDLO will present its experience with the digitalisation of legal training in the Philippines. Drawing on these practical experiences, the dialogue will explore how digital tools can strengthen legal cooperation and capacity development, while encouraging practitioners to advance digitalisation in ways that are fair, inclusive, and equitable. The HCCH-IDLO Dialogue will be held on Thursday 15 October 2026, from 12.00 to 1.00 p.m. (CEST). Interested persons should register no later than Friday 9 October via the following registration form: https://lnkd.in/eWFp462E. A Teams link will be sent to registered participants closer to the date. Representatives of HCCH Members and of non-Member Contracting Parties to the Service, Evidence, Child Abduction, Adoption, Child Protection, Protection of Adults, and Child Support Conventions are invited to consult Focused Circular No 49 of 22 September 2026 for further details. #HCCH #IDLO #privateinternationallaw #internationallaw #digitalisation #digitaltransformation #egovernment IDLO - International Development Law Organization

Yesterday, Mr Philippe Lortie, First Secretary at the HCCH, participated as speaker in a Cross-Border Family Mediation Training organised by the International Mediation Centre for Family Conflict and Child Abduction (MiKK). The training, held from 27 September to 3 October, aims to qualify practicing family mediators to mediate cross-border family disputes, including international child abduction, access and custody cases. After providing an overview of the work programme of the HCCH in the field of international family and child protection law, including the Malta Process’ Working Party on Mediation, Mr Lortie’s presentation focused on the use of mediation in cases under the HCCH 1980 Child Abduction, 1996 Child Protection, and 2007 Child Support Conventions. In this context, Mr Lortie presented the new electronic Country Profiles for the 1980 and 1996 Conventions, which provide a wealth of information about mediation services available in the different State Parties to these Conventions. The session concluded with a roundtable discussion with the participants as to how mediated agreements reached in the course of family matters involving children are given effect in their respective States. Mr Lortie reminded the participants that parental responsibility issues, including rights of custody agreed to by the parties, will have cross-border effect in accordance with Article 16(2) of the 1996 Child Protection Convention in States where the Convention is in force. #HCCH #privateinternationallaw #internationallaw #familylaw #childabduction #childprotection

On 24 and 25 September, the Permanent Bureau of the HCCH held a training on the HCCH’s core family law Conventions and projects for a group of judges and court officials from 22 EU Member States. The training was organised in cooperation with the European Judicial Training Network (EJTN). The first day of the training began with an introduction to the HCCH and its functioning, including the development and adoption of HCCH Conventions, as well as an overview of the 1961 Apostille Convention, the 2007 Child Support Convention, and the 2007 Maintenance Obligations Protocol, presented by Mr Philippe Lortie, First Secretary. This was followed by presentations on the 2000 Protection of Adults Convention, delivered by Ms Nietta Keane, Legal Officer; on the 1993 Adoption Convention, delivered by Ms Capucine Page, Senior Legal Officer; and on the International Hague Network of Judges (IHNJ) and direct judicial communications, delivered by Mr Lortie. On the second day, Ms Laura Martínez-Mora, First Secretary, presented on the 1980 Child Abduction and 1996 Child Protection Conventions, and then guided participants through an interactive case study session illustrating their operation in practice. #HCCH #privateinternationallaw #internationallaw #internationalfamilylaw #familylaw #childabduction #childprotection #protectionofadults

J’ai eu aujourd’hui le plaisir d’accueillir au siège de la HCCH S.E. M. Wouter Detavernier, nouvellement nommé Représentant permanent de la Belgique auprès des Institutions internationales à La Haye. Nous avons eu un excellent échange, non seulement sur la contribution de la HCCH à un multilatéralisme pratique et efficace, mais aussi sur le rôle important de la Belgique en tant que Membre actif et engagé de l’Organisation. Nous avons notamment évoqué la contribution que la Belgique peut apporter à la promotion de la HCCH auprès des pays africains francophones, ainsi que l’importance de préserver une présence forte et active de la langue française au sein de la HCCH. Je remercie très sincèrement l’Ambassadeur Detavernier pour sa visite et me réjouis beaucoup à l’idée de poursuivre notre excellente coopération avec la Permanent Representation of Belgium to the International Institutions in The Hague. #HCCH #Belgique #DroitInternationalPrivé #Multilatéralisme #CoopérationInternationale

Last week, Mr Philippe Lortie, First Secretary at the HCCH, participated in the 11th Plenary Meeting of the Council of Europe’s Consultation Group on the Children of Ukraine (online), established to facilitate dialogue and the exchange of information, in a multilateral setting, on applicable legal standards and policies regarding Ukrainian children present in Council of Europe Member States. During the meeting, Mr Lortie contributed to the discussions from the perspective of the mandate of the HCCH and its complementarity with the work of the Council of Europe, focusing in particular on the operation of the 1980 Child Abduction, the 1993 Adoption, the 1996 Child Protection, and the 2000 Protection of Adults Conventions. #HCCH #privateinternationallaw #internationallaw #internationalfamilylaw #familylaw #childabduction #childprotection #protectionofadults   Image credit: Council of Europe / Artwork by Christian Guémy alias C215