Hague Conference on Private International Law
Encyclopedia
The Hague Conference on Private International Law (or HCCH, for Hague Conference/Conférence de la Haye) is the preeminent organisation in the area of private international law.
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 convention
s promoting the harmonisation
of conflict of laws
principles in diverse subject matters within private international law. Seventy-one nations are currently members of the Hague Conference, including the United States, Brazil, Russia, India, China and all 27 member states of the European Union (the European Union
itself is also a member of the Conference, so the total number of members is listed as 72 on the HCCH's website).
in the Hague, the Permanent Bureau is the Conference's secretariat.
its Secretary General is Mr J.H.A. (Hans) van Loon.
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 convention
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
s promoting the harmonisation
Harmonisation
Harmonisation may refer to:* In music, the implementation of harmony, usually by using chords, including harmonized scales* Harmonisation of law, the process of establishing common laws and standards across the European Union...
of conflict of laws
Conflict of laws
Conflict of laws is a set of procedural rules that determines which legal system and which jurisdiction's applies to a given dispute...
principles in diverse subject matters within private international law. Seventy-one nations are currently members of the Hague Conference, including the United States, Brazil, Russia, India, China and all 27 member states of the European Union (the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
itself is also a member of the Conference, so the total number of members is listed as 72 on the HCCH's website).
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 UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
; - The Conference concluded and opened for ratificationRatificationRatification is a principal's approval of an act of its agent where the agent lacked authority to legally bind the principal. The term applies to private contract law, international treaties, and constitutionals in federations such as the United States and Canada.- Private law :In contract law, the...
the Hague Convention on Choice of Court Agreements, a project which had been in negotiation for nearly 15 years. States applying this instrumentLegal instrumentLegal instrument is a legal term of art that is used for any formally executed written document that can be formally attributed to its author, records and formally expresses a legally enforceable act, process, or contractual duty, obligation, or right, and therefore evidences that act, process, or...
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.
Members
The Permanent Bureau
Located in a mansion on Scheveningseweg near the Peace PalacePeace Palace
The Peace Palace is a building situated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is often called the seat of international law because it houses the International Court of Justice , the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the Hague Academy of International Law, and the extensive Peace Palace Library.In addition...
in the Hague, the Permanent Bureau is the Conference's secretariat.
its Secretary General is Mr J.H.A. (Hans) van Loon.
See also
- List of Hague Conventions on Private International Law
- Place of the Relevant Intermediary ApproachPlace of the Relevant Intermediary ApproachThe Place of the Relevant Intermediary Approach, or PRIMA, is a conflict of laws rule applied to the proprietary aspects of security transactions, especially collateral transactions...
External links
- Hague Conference on Private International Law - official website
- INCADAT: the International Child Abduction Database - official website