UP Law Professors at the 2022 HCCH Asia Pacific Conference

UP IHR Director Professor Elizabeth Aguiling-Pangalangan and Assistant Professor Michael Tiu, Jr. served as session chairpersons at the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) Asia Pacific Week held on 18-20 October 2022. The three-day event was an international meeting where private international law practitioners, academics, and scholars had the opportunity to exchange views on and share best practices in the implementation of key HCCH conventions. This year’s forum centered on the theme “Enabling Cross-border Cooperation in the Region and Beyond” and was hosted by the Philippines through the Philippine Supreme Court, Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippine Judicial Academy, and the University of the Philippines College of Law.

Professor Aguiling-Pangalangan was Chairperson of Session 1 which immediately succeeded the official Opening Ceremonies of the Conference. The session focused on the benefits of membership in the HCCH and had for its speakers HCCH Secretary General Dr. Christophe Bernasconi, Philippine Ambassador to the Netherlands Honorable J. Eduardo Malaya, Mongolia’s Vice Minister of Justice and Home Affairs Ms. Solongoo Bayarsaikhan, Thailand’s Permanent Secretary of Justice Ms. Phongsaward Guyaroonsuith, and HCCH’s Representative for Asia and the Pacific Prof. Yun Zhao.

Dr. Bernasconi delivered the session’s introductory presentation. He highlighted how HCCH conventions facilitate international understanding by building bridges for cross-border transactions. He also emphasized that the Conference fosters cooperation in the region by strengthening the many voices of Asia and the Pacific as well as enriching the diversity of perspectives that contribute to the global dialogue.

After Dr. Bernasconi’s lecture, Professor Aguiling-Pangalangan then invited other panel members to share their country’s perspectives and experiences as members of the HCCH. Ambassador Malaya started by presenting the challenges that faced the Philippines in acceding to the HCCH Conventions. He likewise offered solutions to overcome such challenges. Ms. Bayarsaikhan then spoke about Mongolia’s HCCH experience. She began by laying down the country’s legal system and underscored how HCCH membership improved their cross-border legal cooperation. Ms. Guyaroonsuith of Thailand supported Dr. Bernasconi’s thesis on the importance of fostering cooperation amongst states. Prof. Zhao did the closing lecture by summarizing the key benefits of the HCCH, especially on the creation of effective state-to-state judicial and administrative cooperation mechanisms.

Aside from chairing the first session, Professor Aguiling-Pangalangan also served as a panel member at the Conference’s seventh session. Here, she presented the Philippine experiences and perspectives on the 2007 Child Support Convention. In her lecture, Professor Aguiling-Pangalangan emphasized the importance of the said convention to the Philippines. She also underscored the initiatives undertaken by the government for the cross-border support of Filipino children.

Professor Michael Tiu, Jr., meanwhile, chaired the closing sessions on international commercial, digital, and financial law. The meeting also covered some of the HCCH’s normative projects and future work. With him on the panel were University of Indonesia Assistant Professor Priskila P. Penashtika, Hitotsubashi University Professor Keisuke Takeshita, and HCCH Deputy Secretary General Dr. Gerardine Goh Escolar.

Prof. Penashtika talked about the 2015 Choice of Law Principles. She discussed the overview of the principles by highlighting its main goal which is to promote acceptance of party autonomy in international commercial contracts. Prof. Takeshita then presented the Jurisdiction Project, an HCCH-led initiative with a key focus on the international jurisdiction of courts and the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. His discussion centered on the core issues, objectives, and benefits of the project. Lastly, Dr. Escolar lectured about the HCCH’s digital economy project. Her presentation centered on the prospects of the digital economy and its implications on private international law, specifically on issues of jurisdiction and the choice of law.

Professor Aguiling – Pangalangan, Prof. Tiu Jr, and Prof. Emerson Banez represented the College in the Technical Workshop Group that planned the APW 2022.