Title
Secretary General
Company
Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH)
Bio
Christophe Bernasconi is the fourth Secretary General of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH). He took office on 1 July 2013. In 2018, he was reappointed for a further term of five years. Dr Bernasconi had joined the Permanent Bureau in September 1997 as Secretary, became First Secretary in May 2000, and Deputy Secretary General in July 2011.
As Secretary General, Dr Bernasconi is responsible for the administration of the HCCH and the operation of its Permanent Bureau (Secretariat). He has long-standing expertise in the fields of international civil procedural law, international commercial and finance law, international family and child protection law, as well as international legal cooperation. He designed and is the principal administrator of the electronic Apostille Program (e-APP). As Secretary General, his current focus is on implementing various strategic directions of the HCCH, including progress towards universality and further developing inclusiveness.
Dr Bernasconi holds a law degree from Fribourg University in Switzerland (magna cum laude; bilingual German/French), an LL.M. degree in comparative law from McGill University in Montreal (Canada), and a doctoral degree in Private International Law from Fribourg University (summa cum laude).