Council of diplomats in the hague: Cebuana envoy makes history

CEBU, Philippines — A Cebuana diplomat has made history as the first ever woman elected chairperson of the Standing Committee of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH).

Lawyer Marisar Ivy Cabatingan, Third Secretary and Vice Consul of the Philippine Embassy in The Hague, was elected Chair of the Standing Committee of the Council of Diplomatic Representatives (CDR) of the HCCH during the 69th meeting of the CDR on May 23, 2023 at the Peace Palace in The Hague, The Netherlands.

“We thank the members of the Council for the trust and confidence they have reposed on Ms. Cabatingan. The Philippines is pleased to further contribute to the work of the HCCH through her,” Ambassador Eduardo Malaya said, in a statement.

“This development demonstrates the country's proactive engagement with international legal organizations and commitment to the vital role of the HCCH,” the Philippine envoy to The Netherlands added.

Cabatingan, 38, is the first woman to assume the chairmanship of the CDR Standing Committee. She previously served as CDR’s vice chairperson since May 2022.

She is an alumna of the University of San Jose-Recoletos College of Law. She finished her AB Mass Communication degree at St. Theresa’s College in Cebu City and had her internship at The Freeman.

Although she was born in Cawayan, Masbate and grew up in Zamboanga City, Cabatingan proudly claimed that she is a Cebuana having stayed in Labangon, Cebu City.

She is the niece of ex-officio Provincial Board Member Ricardo “Kuya Nick” Pepito.

Meanwhile, Embassy of Poland’s First Secretary Paulina Dudzik was also elected as Vice Chair of the Standing Committee of the CDR, which demonstrated the commendable efforts of the HCCH in ensuring geographical representation and gender balance within the leadership roles of the organization.

The HCCH is an intergovernmental organization that administers international conventions related to private international law.

The Philippines has acceded to several conventions under the HCCH, including the Inter-Country Adoption Convention, the Convention on the Civil Aspects of Child Abduction, the Apostille Convention, the Service Convention, and the Child Support Convention.

With a membership of 91, consisting of 90 States and one regional economic integration organization (the European Union), the HCCH facilitates cooperation among nations in the aspects of private international law.

The HCCH-CDR comprises Ambassadors of the HCCH Member States or their designated representatives and serves as the supreme authority in matters of finance and budget within the HCCH. It exercises oversight on financial administration and is chaired by the Netherlands Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The Standing Committee, on the other hand, which is led by a member elected from the CDR, supports its work and deliberates on financial and budgetary concerns raised by any Member State or the HCCH Secretary General.  — (FREEMAN)