Head of The Hague Conference on Private International Law visits Kazakhstan

The Hague, October 22, 2024 — From October 21 to 22, 2024, the 13th International Forum on the electronic Apostille Program (e-APP) was held in Astana, marking a historic event as it was the first in-person meeting of Apostille Convention participants since 2019.

Organized by Maqsut Narikbayev University and the Ministry of Justice of Kazakhstan with active support from the Embassy of Kazakhstan in the Netherlands, the event brought together more than 300 participants from 70 Convention member countries and 3 observer countries.

The event was opened by the Secretary General of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), Dr. Christophe Bernasconi, who emphasized the importance of e-APP in modernizing document legalization processes. He noted that, according to recent studies, Convention member countries save nearly half a billion euros annually through its use.

Speakers at the forum included experts from Brazil, Greece, Chile, South Korea, and other countries who presented their perspectives on the implementation and future of e-APP. They also actively discussed issues surrounding the development of digital innovations aimed at increasing the efficiency and accessibility of legal procedures.

At the conclusion of the event, participants called for further development of technologies to improve the effectiveness of the Apostille Convention, noting that the future of international document legalization depends on cooperation and knowledge exchange as more countries continue to adopt e-APP.