InvestHK assists in the setting up of Hague Conference's regional headquarters in Hong Kong
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     Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) has helped The Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) to set up a regional headquarters in Hong Kong.

     The Hong Kong establishment is the second regional office of the Hague Conference and its first in Asia Pacific. It also marks one of several international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that InvestHK has assisted to set up in Hong Kong over the years.

     The Director-General of Investment Promotion, Mr Simon Galpin, welcomed the opening of the HCCH regional office and described it as a unique project.

     "Hague Conference is one of the oldest and most important international legal institutions in the world. Assisting it to set up its regional office in our city is more than simply a completed project for InvestHK; it is a significant development for Hong Kong's legal scene," Mr Galpin said.

     "The Hague Conference's decision to set up a regional headquarters in our city is a recognition of our international reputation and a strong vote of confidence in our legal foundation," he said.  

     Ms Micah Rachel Thorner is Director of the International Centre for Judicial Studies and Technical Assistance of HCCH. She said that Hong Kong's international status and its solid legal system were behind HCCH's decision to set up in the city.

     "Hong Kong has a wide variety of cultures and histories to accommodate international organisations like the Hague Conference. The city has a long relationship with the Hague Conference and applies many Hague Conventions. It has a sophisticated and transparent legal system and is conveniently located at the heart of Asia, making it an ideal place to set up our regional headquarters for the Asia-Pacific region," Ms Thorner said.

About Hague Conference

     Founded in 1893, the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) is a global organisation for cross-border co-operation on civil and commercial matters. Its core mission is to link different cultures and legal traditions through multilateral treaties, or Conventions and other international legal instruments. It aims to co-ordinate legal diversity and to foster international judicial and administrative co-operation in the area of private law (i.e. in relation to private individuals and companies), especially in terms of family and child protection, civil procedure and financial and commercial law. For more information about HCCH, please visit www.hcch.net

     Mr Justice Michael Hartmann has been appointed as Representative of Hague Conference's Asia Pacific Regional Office. He is a local non-permanent judge in Hong Kong's highest court, the Court of Final Appeal, and has been a member of the International Hague Network of Judges for many years.

About Invest Hong Kong

     InvestHK is the department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government established in July 2000 to take responsibility for Foreign Direct Investment and support overseas and Mainland businesses to set up or expand in Hong Kong. It provides free advice and customised services to help businesses succeed in Hong Kong's vibrant economy. As at June 2012, InvestHK had completed over 2,600 investment projects, creating more than 30,000 new jobs in the first year of operation or expansion and HK$67 billion of investment. For more information, please visit www.investhk.gov.hk.

Ends/Thursday, December 13, 2012
Issued at HKT 19:05

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