Tunisia will host the 9th Mohamed Charfi Days, a two-day international scientific conference, on September 24-25. The event, organized by the REDI Lab of the Faculty of Juridical, Political and Social Sciences of Tunis, the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), the IRZ research institute, and the Tunisian Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts, Beït al-Hikma, will focus on the Hague Conventions and their impact on Tunisian law. Experts from Tunisia and abroad will discuss the conventions already integrated into Tunisian law and potential future steps in international judicial cooperation.
The conference will be held at Beït al-Hikma in Carthage and the Faculty of Juridical, Political and Social Sciences of Tunis. On the first day, participants will examine Tunisia's role within the HCCH, with Christophe Bernasconi, Secretary General of the Hague Conference, taking part in the discussions. The second day will focus on the evolution of Tunisian law, with three main axes: family law and person protection, contractual law conflicts, and jurisdictional conflicts. Lotfi Chedly, former dean of the Faculty, will present a synthesis report at the end of the conference.
The Hague Conventions have been a cornerstone of private international law since 1893, with over 30 conventions developed in areas such as family law, child protection, and transnational litigation. The HCCH has gained over 1,000 ratifications and adhesions worldwide, providing a framework for judicial cooperation between states. Tunisia has been involved with the HCCH since 2014 and has ratified several major conventions, including the Apostille Convention, the Notification Convention, and the Convention on International Child Abduction.
The 9th Mohamed Charfi Days aim to assess the current place of private international law in the Tunisian legal order and identify potential paths for its evolution. The conference seeks to combine academic reflection with an openness to foreign experiences, comparing the Tunisian model with those of neighboring countries and European partners. This approach will help lay the groundwork for future international judicial cooperation.
The event is part of a broader international redeployment of the Hague Conference, with the opening of its African regional office in Rabat in 2025. This development highlights the growing attention paid to the African continent and raises questions about Tunisia's role in this dynamic. The conference debates are expected to go beyond institutional assessment and explore the prospects of Tunisian judicial cooperation in an increasingly globalized environment.
The conference will bring together academics and specialists in private international law to discuss the implications of the Hague Conventions for Tunisian law. The event is a significant step in strengthening Tunisia's judicial cooperation with other countries and will provide a platform for experts to share their insights and experiences.
The 9th Mohamed Charfi Days will conclude with a synthesis report and recommendations for future steps in international judicial cooperation. The conference is expected to contribute to a better understanding of the Hague Conventions and their impact on Tunisian law, ultimately enhancing the country's judicial cooperation with other nations.
Key points
- The conference will examine the impact of Hague Conventions on Tunisian law and explore potential future steps in international judicial cooperation.
- The event aims to assess the current place of private international law in the Tunisian legal order and identify potential paths for its evolution.
- The conference is part of a broader international redeployment of the Hague Conference, with a growing focus on the African continent.
