The Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) is a major intergovernmental organisation specialized in private international law. Its origins date back to 1893, when delegates from 13 States convened the first Hague Conference in The Hague, at the initiative of the renowned Dutch jurist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mr. Tobias Asser. The Hague Conference aimed to harmonize the rules of private international law. In subsequent years, the Hague Conference met several times to negotiate matters of private international law. At its Seventh Session in 1951, participating States adopted a Statute which, upon its entry into force in 1955, established the HCCH as a permanent intergovernmental organisation.

    The HCCH mainly focuses on three areas: International Family and Child Protection Law, Transnational Litigation and Apostille, International Commercial, Digital, and Financial Law. It addresses cross-border civil and commercial legal conflicts and promotes international business and people-to-people exchanges through the adoption of conventions and the sharing of implementation practices. The HCCH has drafted over 40 Conventions and instruments, covering areas such as cooperation in private international law, conflicts of law in contracts and torts, child protection, marriage, testament, service of judicial documents, recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments, etc. As of March 2026, the HCCH is composed of 93 Members, including 92 States and the European Union.

    The HCCH headquarter is located in The Hague, the Netherlands, with a Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (China), a Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean in Buenos Aires (Argentina) , and a Regional Office for Africa in Rabat (Morocco). The Permanent Bureau (PB) is responsible for the operations of the HCCH, conducting preparatory research, and drafting HCCH Conventions. The PB is composed of the Secretary General, Deputy Secretary General, legal Officers and administrative staff. The Council on General Affairs and Policy (CGAP) and the Council of Diplomatic Representatives (CDR) serve as the HCCH’s main decision-making organs, with members participating in internal governance and rule-making activities.

    China participated in the HCCH’s activities as an Observer for multiple times between 1981 and 1986, and became a Member in July 1987. China is a party to the Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, the Convention of 15 November 1965 on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters, the Convention of 18 March 1970 on the Taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil or Commercial Matters, and the Convention of 29 May 1993 on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. These conventions are also applicable to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macao Special Administrative Region of China.

    Following the return of Hong Kong and Macao to the motherland, the conventions previously applicable to Hong Kong remain to apply, including the Convention of 5 October 1961 on the Conflicts of Laws Relating to the Form of Testamentary Dispositions, the Convention of 1 June 1970 on the Recognition of Divorces and Legal Separations, the Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, and the Convention of 1 July 1985 on the Law Applicable to Trusts and on their Recognition. The conventions previously applicable to Macao remain to apply, including the Convention of 1 March 1954 on Civil Procedure, the Convention of 24 October 1956 on the Law Applicable to Maintenance Obligations towards Children, the Convention of 15 April 1958 Concerning the Recognition and Enforcement of Decisions Relating to Maintenance Obligations towards Children, the Convention of 5 October 1961 Concerning the Powers of Authorities and the Law Applicable in Respect of the Protection of Infants, and the Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.