APOSTILLE Prel. Doc. No 2 Doc. prél. No 2 February / février 2017 (E/F) SYNOPSIS OF RESPONSES TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE OF APRIL 2016 RELATING TO THE HAGUE CONVENTION OF 5 OCTOBER 1961 ABOLISHING THE REQUIREMENT OF LEGALISATION FOR FOREIGN PUBLIC DOCUMENTS (APOSTILLE CONVENTION) drawn up by the Permanent Bureau * * * APERÇU DES RÉPONSES AU QUESTIONNAIRE D’AVRIL 2016 PORTANT SUR LA CONVENTION DE LA HAYE DU 5 OCTOBRE 1961 SUPPRIMANT L'EXIGENCE DE LA LÉGALISATION DES ACTES PUBLICS ÉTRANGERS (CONVENTION APOSTILLE) établi par le Bureau Permanent (Revised version as per February 2017 / version révisée en février 2017) Preliminary Document No 2 of September 2016 for the attention of the Special Commission of November 2016 on the practical operation of the Apostille Convention Document préliminaire No 2 de septembre 2016 à l'attention de la Commission spéciale de novembre 2016 sur le fonctionnement pratique de la Convention Apostille Churchillplein 6b, 2517 JW The Hague - La Haye | The Netherlands - Pays-Bas +31 (70) 363 3303 +31 (70) 360 4867 | [email protected] | www.hcch.net Asia Pacific Regional Office - Bureau régional Asie-Pacifique | S.A.R. of Hong Kong - R.A.S. de Hong Kong | +852 2858 9912 Latin American Regional Office - Bureau régional Amérique latine | Buenos Aires | Argentina – Argentine | +54 (11) 4310 8372 A first version of this document was prepared and published on the website of the Hague Conference on 22 September 2016. This current version is up to date as to 20 February 2017. This document has not been translated. It is a compilation of the responses as they were received to make the responses more readily accessible to experts to the Special Commission. Therefore, the responses appear as they were received, in the language in which they were received. The Permanent Bureau has made some minor corrections to the text of responses for presentation purposes. The complete response of each Contracting Party is available on the “Apostille Section” of the Hague Conference website < www.hcch.net > under “Questionnaires & Responses”. In the interests of brevity responses to the following questions have not been compiled in this document: • Other relevant instruments, internal laws or practices which facilitate or exempt the production of foreign public documents from legalisation or similar formality (Part B, Questions 1.1 a) and 1.3 a)); • Implementation legislation (Part B, Question 1.1 a)); • Public information on the operation of the Apostille Convention (Part B, Question 4.4 a)); • Published works on the Apostille Convention (Part B, Question 4.5 a)); • Full contact details of Competent Authorities (Part B, Question 5.1 b)). Throughout this document numbers contained in square brackets (‘[#]’) refer to the number of relevant responses. Throughout this Questionnaire, the terms “State of origin” and “State of destination” are used as terms of art and are to be given the meaning ascribed to them in the Glossary of the Apostille Handbook. * * * Une première version de ce document a été établie et publiée sur le site web de la Conférence de La Haye le 22 septembre 2016. La version actuelle est une mise à jour au 20 février 2017. Ce document n'a pas été traduit. Afin de rendre les réponses facilement accessibles aux experts de la Commission spéciale, celles-ci ont uniquement été compilées telles qu’elles ont été reçues et dans la langue dans laquelle elles ont été reçues. Le Bureau Permanent a apporté quelques corrections mineures au texte à des fins de présentation. Les réponses des Parties peuvent être consultées dans leur intégralité sur l’« Espace Apostille » du site web de la Conférence de La Haye (à l’adresse < www.hcch.net >, sous la rubrique « Questionnaires & Réponses »). Par souci de concision, les réponses aux questions suivantes ne sont pas reprises dans le présent document : • Autres instruments pertinents, lois ou pratiques internes qui facilitent la production d’actes publics étrangers ou la dispensent de légalisation ou de formalité similaire (partie B, questions 1.1 a) et 1.3 a)) ; • Législation de transposition (partie B, question 1.1 a)); • Information du public concernant le fonctionnement de la Convention Apostille (partie B, question 4.4 a)); • Travaux publiés concernant la Convention Apostille (partie B, question 4.5 a)); • Coordonnées complètes des Autorités compétentes des États contractants (partie B, question 5.1 b)). Dans ce document, les nombres entre crochets ('[#]') renvoient au nombre de réponses reçues. Dans le présent Questionnaire, les notions d’« État d’origine » et d’« État de destination » sont utilisées comme des termes génériques et doivent être interprétées en fonction du sens qui leur est conféré par le Glossaire du Manuel Apostille. i Table of contents RESPONSES TO THE APOSTILLE QUESTIONNAIRE ..................................... IX RÉPONSES AU QUESTIONNAIRE APOSTILLE .............................................. XI PART A – QUESTIONS FOR NON-CONTRACTING PARTIES ......................... 13 Reasons for not being a Contracting Party ........................................ 13 a) Why are you not party to the Apostille Convention? .................. 13 Foreign direct investment ................................................................. 14 b) Are you aware that international organisations, such as the World Bank and the International Chamber of Commerce, have recognised the importance and efficacy of the Apostille Convention in the promotion and development of international trade and investment and have urged those that have not done so to join the Convention? ......................................................................... 14 Studying the Apostille Convention .................................................... 14 c) Are you currently studying the Apostille Convention, or do you envisage studying it, with a view to becoming a Contracting Party in the near future? ................................................................ 14 d) Are you taking the e-APP (electronic Apostille Program) into consideration, or do you envisage taking it into consideration, as part of this study? ................................................................. 15 Statistics .......................................................................................... 16 e) How many legalisations were performed in 2015 by the authorities in your jurisdiction? ............................................................... 16 Other Instruments ............................................................................ 18 f) Is the production of foreign public documents in your jurisdiction exempted from / not subject to legalisation or similar formality, or otherwise facilitated, by virtue of: ........................................... 18 The “Apostille Section" and publications .......................................... 19 g) How useful is the information provided on the Apostille Section of the Hague Conference website? .............................................. 19 h) Are you aware of the publications of the Permanent Bureau the ABCs of Apostilles, the Brief Implementation Guide, and the Apostille Handbook, available on the Apostille Section of the Hague Conference website? ............................................................. 20 i) Do you have any suggestions for future publications that could assist the promotion, implementation, or operation of the Apostille Convention? ......................................................................... 20 Other ................................................................................................ 21 j) Are there any specific topics or practical issues that you would like to have discussed at the 2016 Special Commission? .................. 21 PART B – QUESTIONS FOR CONTRACTING PARTIES ................................. 21 Section 1 – Joining the Apostille Convention .................................... 21 1.1 Changes to internal law ................................................................. 21 a) Was implementing legislation necessary to give the Apostille Convention force of law in your jurisdiction (including regulations relating to the establishment and functioning of Competent Authorities)? ........................................................................ 21 ii 1.2 Foreign direct investment .............................................................. 24 a) Are you aware that international organisations, such as the World Bank and the International Chamber of Commerce, have recognised the importance and efficacy of the Apostille Convention in the promotion and development of international trade and investment and have urged those that have not done so to join the Convention? ......................................................................... 24 1.3 Other relevant instruments, laws and practices ................................ 25 a) Is the production of any types of foreign public documents in your jurisdiction exempted from / not subject to legalisation or similar formality, or otherwise facilitated, by virtue of: ........................ 25 Section 2 – Objections to accessions ................................................ 27 2.1 Revisiting objections .................................................................... 28 a) If you have objected to the accession of one (or more) Contracting Party(ies) under Article 12 of the Convention, have you revisited your position on this issue in the last five years, or do you intend to do so in the near future? ...................................................