The regional office of the HCCH for Africa to be established in Morocco

An agreement to establish the Regional Office of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) for Africa in Morocco was signed on Monday in Rabat between the Moroccan government and the HCCH.

The agreement was signed by Nasser Bourita, Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Living Abroad, and Christophe Bernasconi, Secretary General of the HCCH. It marks a significant milestone in the cooperation between Morocco and the Hague Conference on Private International Law.

This regional office will promote the HCCH’s legal cooperation instruments, particularly in the areas of family law, child protection, transnational litigation, and the authentication of public documents, Bernasconi explained during a press briefing following the signing ceremony.

The signing was attended by Rachid Ouadifi, Director of Civil Affairs and Legal and Judicial Professions at Morocco’s Ministry of Justice, who serves as the central authority for the conventions and legal instruments under the HCCH.

Morocco has been a member of the HCCH since 1993 and is a party to several of its conventions. Bernasconi commended Morocco’s active commitment to implementing these instruments and highlighted the country’s recognized expertise in this field.

In March, Morocco was unanimously selected to host the HCCH’s Africa Regional Office. The decision was made during the Council on General Affairs and Policy (CGAP) meetings held from March 4 to 7 at the Hague Academy’s headquarters.

The CGAP event brought together 452 delegates representing 75 HCCH member states, 44 non-member states, and around 20 intergovernmental and international non-governmental organizations—underscoring the strategic importance of Morocco’s designation.

Founded in 1893, the HCCH is the oldest intergovernmental organization based in The Hague. It works to unify private international law rules through the adoption of international conventions, having developed over 40 instruments to date with its 91 member states and the European Union.