INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS

Spanish, third official language of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH)

Until now, the only official languages had been English and French. The organisation has 8 French-speaking, 14 English-speaking and 15 Spanish-speaking States. This decision will facilitate the implementation of important international conventions.

March 13, 2023

The Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) – a benchmark in this legal discipline - is the oldest organisation in the city. Of a technical nature, but also with political ramifications, its aim is to standardise the rules of private international law worldwide. It has 90 Member States, usually represented at meetings by the embassies accredited in the Netherlands. In total, 150 States have ties with the organisation by being party to its various conventions. The European Union is also a member of the organisation.

The HCCH has drawn up some 30 international conventions, of which 20 are currently in force. They deal in particular with conflicts of law, for example, on the law applicable to international adoptions, matrimonial property regimes or inheritance.

The presence of Spanish as an official language of the HCCH ratifies the impetus that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation has given to Spanish as a diplomatic language and its use in all international bodies.