From Caribbean News Now

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad — Caribbean governments and judges are set to benefit from a new initiative to boost participation in international legal conventions, which will help improve access to justice for citizens.

The Commonwealth Secretariat is working with other partners to promote involvement in the conventions of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) and the affiliated International Hague Network of Judges.

This will improve judicial and administrative co-operation in private law, especially in areas that deal with the protection of families and children, civil procedure and commercial activities.

The Secretariat, in collaboration with the HCCH Permanent Bureau and the Office of the Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago, is organising a high-level forum in Port of Spain, Trinidad, from 15-17 June, to highlight the importance of engagement with the global inter-governmental organisation.

The initiative was launched following a mandate from the 2014 Commonwealth Law Ministers Meeting. It will bring together the secretaries-general of the HCCH and the Caribbean Community, along with senior government officials, judges, legal professionals and representatives of organisations from around the globe.

Currently, more than 140 countries are involved in HCCH activities. A number of Commonwealth Caribbean member states are already signatories to one or more Hague conventions, but only a few have acceded to critical agreements such as the convention on child abduction.

Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Dr Josephine Ojiambo said: “Becoming a party to the Hague Conventions and joining the global network of judges will have huge benefits for the region, particularly in the area of family law, human rights and trade issues.

“In addition to gaining access to authoritative handbooks, reports and other court guidance, judges will be able to connect with peers around the world to share experiences and best practice.”

Delegates at the meeting will discuss a range of legal issues and frameworks, including the benefits of accession to the 25 October 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.

The Commonwealth Secretariat has committed to provide support, upon request, to member countries that wish to accede to the convention.

Ojiambo described the joint Commonwealth Secretariat and HCCH outreach as an important step in implementing the Secretariat’s strategic plan to strengthen the delivery of law and justice across the Commonwealth, through its cutting-edge projects and programmes.

She said: “One of the Commonwealth’s priorities is to protect the rights of our citizens and to ensure they feel safe and able to access justice. Having a robust justice system is also critical for development and is a prerequisite for healthy cross-border trade and foreign direct investment.”

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