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The Hague Conference on Private International Law in The Hague organised on 7 and 8 February 2023 with the University of Pretoria, the Ministry of Justice of Finland and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa South, a regional conference on the Hague Conference and the Relevance of its Work for Southern Africa.

The program covered the themes of the importance of multilateral international cooperation, the interest of the Hague conventions, and more particularly several instruments developed by HCCH:

  • 1961 Apostille Convention
  • 1965 Service Convention
  • 1970 Evidence Convention
  • 2005 Choice of Court Convention
  • 2019 Judgments Convention
  • 2015 Choice of Law Principles
  • 1980 Child Abduction Convention
  • 1996 Child Protection Convention
  • 2007 Child Support Convention & Protocol
  • 1993 Adoption Convention

Mathieu Chardon, Secretary General of the UIHJ, addressed the theme of the regional experience and perspective of the 1965 Service Convention. He did not fail to highlight the advantages of this essential instrument, at the initiative of which the UIHJ was, and which served as a model for European Union Regulations on the same subject. He also wondered, without being able to provide an answer, why out of the 79 States party to this convention, only six African countries had ratified it. Finally, he specified that the UIHJ always ensures the promotion of this instrument, in particular during its various trips to Africa, by associating, when possible, Christophe Bernasconi, Secretary General of HCCH.

The high quality of the presentations and the debates made it possible to emphasise the importance of the work of this great international cooperation organisation that is HCCH in the southern region of the African continent.