HCCH Judgments Convention Roundtable in Albania

CILC’s BESp Project organized a Regional Workshop on Cross-Border Enforcement in the Western Balkans, followed by a Roundtable on the implementation of the HCCH Conventions. It was held in collaboration with the Magistrates’ School and the lead expert of the project, Mr. Jos Uitdehaag and brought together magistrates, representatives of the Ministry of Justice, and legal practitioners to discuss the importance of the Hague Convention and its impact on strengthening the justice system in Albania.

The main objective of this workshop was to raise awareness among the magistrate community and legal professionals about the significance of the Convention as a key step in improving international relations and strengthening the credibility of judicial decisions.

In her speech, BESp National Champion Ms Aida Gugu-Bushati presented a general overview of the Hague Judgements Convention, highlighting that it provides a powerful instrument for relations with EU countries and the Western Balkans, as well as an opportunity for harmonized interpretation of legal rules. This is essential for increasing confidence in the justice system and for harmonizing legal practices.

Participants analyzed the content of the Convention and compared it with the Albanian Civil Code and Civil Procedure. In this context, the representative of the Ministry of Justice emphasized that in 2024, the Ministry of Justice showed political will to launch the implementation of the Convention, with the support of Dutch authorities and the Hague Conference. This effort has brought significant progress in the Albanian legal system and created ideal conditions for signing the Hague Conference Conventions. Recently the Albanian Parliament ratified the Convention. This workshop represents an important step in advancing the justice system in Albania and strengthening international cooperation through improving legal conditions and harmonizing judicial practices.