Hague Conference on Private Int'l Law sets up HK office

The Hague Conference on Private International Law opened its Asia Pacific Regional Office in Hong Kong on Thursday, in a ceremony attended by Hong Kong Chief Executive CY Leung, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai and Secretary General of the Hague Conference J.H.A. Hans van Loon.

Cui said at the ceremony that the tie the Hague Conference on Private International Law has with China, and with the Asia Pacific region, has never been so close with the opening of the regional office in Hong Kong.

Establishing the regional office "will help the countries and peoples in this region to understand more of, participate in and benefit from the work of this organization," he said.

"Relying on the advantages of Hong Kong, a vibrant international city where the Eastern culture meets Western culture, I trust that the Regional Office will surely meet people's expectations. It will be a gateway for the Hague Conference on Private International Law to extend its influence and serve as a platform to further promote cooperation in the Asia Pacific region, " Cui said.

Secretary for Justice of the Hong Kong government Rimsky Yuen said the move is a significant vote of confidence in Hong Kong's position both as a regional legal services center and as a springboard for the Hague Conference to further develop its work and extend its influence in the region.

"The Hague Conventions stand out as shining examples of a pool of international instruments, in the field of private international law on various subject matters, which may be conveniently tapped into by any state in the region. Many of these instruments have been tested by time and actual cases, and we can testify that they have served Hong Kong very well over the years," Yuen said.

Hans van Loon said the Hong Kong office will serve as a base of operations to publicize the Hague Conventions, which have been proved to be adaptable to different regions' needs and provide a connection to the global community.

"The task of the Hague Conference on Private International Law is to develop and service such multilateral legal instruments, conventions, which, despite the differences between legal systems, will allow individuals as well as companies to enjoy a high degree of legal security."

Justice Hartmann will be the first Representative of the Hague Conference for the Asia Pacific region.