On 28 January 2026, the Child Support Forum was held online, bringing together experts to discuss the cross-border enforcement of child maintenance obligations. The Forum was organised by the German Institute for Youth Human Services and Family Law (DIJuF) and focused on legal and practical challenges in international child support cases.
The International Union of Judicial Officers (UIHJ) was represented by Charlotte Choquet, on behalf of its Secretary-General, Patrick Gielen. She introduced the UIHJ and its activities and also presented the Belgian system for the recovery and enforcement of child maintenance obligations, highlighting the role of judicial officers in this field.
The European Union of Judicial Officers (UEHJ) was represented by Oscar Jans and Paulo Duarte Pinto.
Experts from Germany, Belgium, Italy, Bulgaria, California (United States), British Columbia (Canada) and New Zealand shared valuable insights into their national systems for the enforcement of child maintenance obligations. Representatives of DIJuF and the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) presented the practical functioning of Regulation (EC) No 4/2009 on maintenance obligations and of the 2007 Hague Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance.
The Forum highlighted the fundamental importance of child support for the well-being of children worldwide and underlined the crucial role of effective enforcement mechanisms. Judicial officers play a key role in ensuring that maintenance decisions are effectively implemented across borders.
The UIHJ and the UEHJ warmly welcome this fruitful cooperation with DIJuF and look forward to further strengthening this partnership in the years to come.
