HCCH Update (2021): Conclusions and Decisions of the Council on General Affairs and Policy

Mar 8

The governing body of the Hague Conference on Private International Law, its Council on General Affairs and Policy, met from March 1-5, 2021 online. This body dictates the work of the Hague Conference. There were a few family law items on the agenda, and the Conclusions and Decisions reached by the CGAP can be found here.

Some family law highlights include:

1. The Permanent Bureau will finalize the draft Practical Guide on cross-border recognition and enforcement of agreements reached in the course of family matters involving children, to be circulated to the organization's members for comment, and then submitted to the CGAP for its approval in one year (2022). You can learn more about this project here.

2. The CGAP approved preparations for the Special Commission (SC) meeting on the Hague Abduction and Hague Child Protection Conventions, to be held the second half of calendar year 2023.

Up for discussion at this SC meeting will be a Country Profile template for the Hague Child Protection Convention.

3. The International Hague Network of Judges will postpone this year's meeting until July 2022, to be held in Singapore. You can learn more about the IHNJ here.

4. The CGAP approved a delay in the SC meeting for the Hague Adoption Convention until July 2022. Learn more about this meeting's plans here.

5. The CGAP approved a delay in the SC meeting for the Hague Maintenance Convention until between March and June 2022, with the potential for remote participation. Learn more about this meeting's plans here.

6. The CGAP approved a SC meeting for the Hague Service and Hague Evidence Conventions for the first half of 2023.

Melissa Kucinski

Melissa Kucinski works with family lawyers to strategically resolve their clients’ complex international cases. A fellow of the AAML, the IAFL, and chair of international family law committees in the American Bar and New York State Bar Associations, Melissa is a respected colleague to have on any legal team. A former consultant for the Hague Conference on Private International Law, member of the Uniform Law Commission’s Joint Editorial Board on Uniform Family Laws, and member of the U.S. Secretary of State’s Advisory Committee on Private International Law, Melissa maintains a robust network to help her clients in international disputes.

https://mkfamily.law/