A Central Authority is an agency or organization that is designated to play a key facilitating role in the implementation and operation of an international treaty in private international law.

Prior to the Hague Evidence Convention

Hague Evidence Convention

The Convention on the Taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil or Commercial Matters -- more commonly referred to as the Hague Evidence Convention, is a multilateral treaty which was drafted under the auspices of the Hague Conference on Private International Law. The treaty was negotiated in 1967 and...

 and the Hague Service Convention

Hague Service Convention

The Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters, more commonly called the Hague Service Convention, is a multilateral treaty which was signed in The Hague on 15 November 1965 by members of the Hague Conference on Private International Law...

's of 1965 and 1970, most treaties would designate two separate agencies to, respectively, transmit and receive treaty petitions and applications with their corresponding agencies in foreign states. The Conventions of '65 and '70 consolidated these roles into a single Central Authority. Future Conventions, such as Hague Abduction Convention also demanded that the Central Authority in each country handle two-way communications with domestic courts, administrative agencies and foreign Central Authorities. Not only did the Abduction Convention establish Central Authorities that facilitated two way communications, but it also gave a whole laundry list of additional obligations to these new authorities with language requiring Central Authorities to take "any and all actions" to secure the goals of the treaty and cooperate with other Central Authority's to do the same. All of these new obligations emphasized the need for international cooperation amongst state parties in achieving the objectives of the Convention.