Revolución! Hague Conference Adopts Spanish as Third Official Language
Take a last look at this image from the website of the HCCH; it will likely change soon. The HCCH has adopted Spanish as an official language from 1 July 2024.
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Here is the official announcement from The Hague Conference (the link provides also the Spanish version):
During the annual meeting of the Council on General Affairs and Policy (CGAP), the Members of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) expressed their unanimous support for the introduction of Spanish as an official language. From 1 July 2024, Spanish will join English and French as one of the three official languages of the Organisation.
This development represents an important further step contributing to universality and inclusiveness at the HCCH, reflecting the importance of multilingualism and multilateralism as core pillars of its work.
The adoption of Spanish as an official language will facilitate the proper and effective implementation and operation of the HCCH’s Conventions and instruments in Spanish-speaking States and will therefore have a decisive positive impact on the lives of the hundreds of millions of native Spanish-speakers around the world. The adoption of Spanish will also simplify the lives of the countless other individuals who interact with Spanish-speaking States – be it through commerce, travel, personal relations, or other.
The decision to adopt Spanish as an official language of the HCCH will be reflected in CGAP’s Conclusions and Decisions, to be published in the coming days.
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And here is a first blog entry from Claudia Martínez, appropriately in Spanish.
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Notably, a Spanish version of the HCCH website has existed since the launch in 2009. Then, it was the only language version other than the English and French ones. Today, (more or less) full versions exist also in German and Portuguese; other language sites provide translations of Hague Conventions.