The Hague Conference on Private International Law is governed by its Council on General Affairs and Policy, which meets annually in or around the first week of March. This year, its meeting will be held by videoconference, starting on February 28, 2022 and lasting through March 4, 2022. It will produce conclusions and recommendations, which will be available on the HCCH’s website after it concludes. You can find the preliminary documents available for the meeting here. Of importance to the family lawyer, the parentage/surrogacy project will report on its work on February 28th. This group last met in November, and its report is found at Prel. Doc. 2B. The family agreements project will report on March 1st. This group last met in November, as well. Its most recent report is found at Prel. Doc. 3A. It is working on producing a draft Practical Guide on the cross-border recognition and enforcement of family agreements, which will be reviewed by HCCH members for discussion and approval at the Council meeting.

Also, as a quick note, the Eighth Special Commission on the practical operation of the Child Abduction and Child Protection Conventions is scheduled for the third quarter of 2023.