Since 1893 the Hague Conference

on Private International Law has developed conventions in areas ranging from

the international protection of children, family and property relations,

international cooperation and litigation to international commercial and finance

law. The Hague Conference has 72 members. Accordingly, very significant

attempts have been made to reduce the number of issues on which the rules for

choice of law in different countries may conflict. From 1951 to 2005 the

Conference adopted 36 international Conventions. The most widely ratified

Conventions deal with the abolition of legalisation, service of process, taking

evidence abroad, access to justice, international child abduction, intercountry

adoption, conflicts of laws relating to the form of testamentary dispositions,

maintenance obligations and recognition of divorces.