Headquarters The Hague Website official website | Secretary General Christophe Bernasconi | |
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Type Intergovernmental organization Membership 81 countries and European Union Budget € 3,767,360.00 (Primary) | ||
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 38 international conventions since its Statute was completed in 1951. A significant number of them are currently in force and mostly focus on conflict of laws rules, administrative cooperation, jurisdiction and applicable law, such ss on the law applicable to maintenance obligations, accidents in road traffic, the liability products, matrimonial or inheritance. HCCH Conventions and instruments are open for adoption or ratification by non-members of HCCH.
Contents
As of 2016, 81 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 82 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 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
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