Timeline – Choice of Law in International Contracts
Mandate given Working
to conduct
Group
feasibility study formed
2006
The 2006
Special
Commission on
General Affairs
and Policy of
the Conference
decided to
invite the
Permanent
Bureau to
prepare a
feasibility study
on the
development of
an instrument
concerning
choice of law in
international
contracts.
2009
First and
Second
Working
Group
Meetings
2010
The 2009 Council on
General Affairs invited
the Permanent Bureau
to form a Working
Group consisting of
experts in the fields of
private international
law, international
commercial law and
international arbitration
law and to facilitate the
development of a draft
non-binding instrument
within this Working
Group.
Third
Working
Group
Meeting
2011
The 2010 Council on
General Affairs
welcomed the setting
up of a Working Group
on Choice of Law in
International Contracts
noted that there was
support in the Working
Group for a
comprehensive draft
instrument, also
including rules
applicable in the
absence of choice. The
Council confirmed that
priority should be given
to the development of
rules for cases where a
choice of law has been
made.
Special Commission
Meeting to study the
proposals of the
Working Group
2012
The 2011 Council on
General Affairs
welcomed the
progress made by the
Working Group,
notably the adoption
of draft articles done
through the two
previous Working
Group Meetings. The
Council decided that
the draft articles and
the commentary
prepared by the
Working Group
should be reviewed
by a Special
Commission at a later
stage.
Preliminary
endorsement of
the Draft
Hague
Principles by
the Council
2013
The 2012 Council on General
Affairs welcomed the work
undertaken by the Working
Group, notably the "Draft
Hague Principles on Choice of
Law in International
Commercial Contracts" as
well as the accompanying
Report and the Policy
Document prepared by the
Working Group. The Council
decided to establish a Special
Commission to discuss the
proposals of the Working
Group and make
recommendations as to future
steps to be undertaken,
including the decision to be
taken on the form of the nonbinding instrument and the
process through which the
commentary shall be
completed.
Fourth
Working
Group
Meeting
2014
The 2013 Council on
General Affairs and
Policy welcomed the
work carried out by the
Working Group, further
developed by the
Special Commission
and gave its
preliminary
endorsement of the
Draft Hague Principles
on Choice of Law in
International Contracts.
The Council invited the
Working Group to meet
to prepare a draft
Commentary which,
once finalised, will be
distributed by the
Permanent Bureau to
all Members and
Observers for their
comments.
Finalisation
of the
Principles in
the two
official
languages of
the Hague
Conference
The 2014 Council on
General Affairs
welcomed the work
completed by the
Working Group,
namely the text of the
Hague Principles and
the draft Commentary
and requested the
Working Group to
undertake the editorial
finalisation of the
Principles in the two
official languages of
the Hague
Conference. Members
were invited to submit
final comments after
distribution of the final
drafts and to approve
them pursuant to a
written procedure.