A Philippine Embassy Official Makes History By Being The First Woman Elected Chairperson Of The HCCH Standing Committee

Attorney Marisar Ivy Cabatingan, Third Secretary and Vice Consul at the Philippine Embassy in The Hague, was elected Chair of the Standing Committee of the Council of Diplomatic Representatives (CDR) of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) during the 69th CoR meeting held on 23 May at the Peace Palace in The Hague.

“We thank the members of the Council for the trust they have placed in Ms. Cabatingan. The Philippines is pleased to continue contributing to the work of the CDCH through her,” stated the Philippine Ambassador to the Netherlands, J. Eduardo Malaya. “This event demonstrates the country’s proactive engagement with international legal organizations and commitment to the vital role of the HCCH.”

The lawyer Cabatingan is the first woman to assume the presidency of the Standing Committee of the CoR. She previously held the position of vice president of the CDR since May 2022. She is a former student of the Faculty of Law of the University of San José Recoletos de Cebu.

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The First Secretary of the Embassy of Poland, Paulina Dudzik, was also elected Vice-President of the CoR Standing Committee, demonstrating the commendable efforts of the Conference to ensure geographical representation and gender balance in the leadership functions of the organization.

The Hague Conference on Private International Law

The HCCH is an intergovernmental organization that administers international conventions related to private international law.

The Philippines has acceded to several conventions under the HCCH, including the Intercountry Adoption Convention, the Civil Aspects of Child Abduction Convention, the Apostille Convention, the Notification Convention, and the Convention on child support.

With 91 members, 90 States, and one regional economic integration organization (the European Union), the Hague Conference facilitates cooperation among nations on aspects of private international law.

The HCCH is an intergovernmental organization that administers international conventions related to private international law.

The Conference CoR is composed of the Ambassadors of the Conference Member States or their designated representatives and acts as the supreme authority on finance and budget within the Conference.

It exercises supervision of the financial administration and is chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. For its part, the Standing Committee, led by an elected CoR member, supports its work and deliberates on financial and budgetary issues raised by any Member State or by the Secretary General of The Hague Conference.

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