Kenya is keen to join the World Organization for Cross Border Cooperation in Civil and Commercial Matters to enhance legislation affecting commercial engagements on the international sphere.
The Director of International Law Division in the Office of The Attorney General and Department of Justice M’s Njeri Wachira said Kenya will enhance legislation relating to commercial activities to reduce the incidences of litigation at the various international courts.
Ms Wachira spoke when she paid a courtesy call on the Secretary General of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) Dr Christophe Bernasconi Thursday morning. S
She was representing Kenya’s Attorney General Prof Githu Muigai on the sidelines of the ongoing Somalia vs Kenya Maritime Case at the International Court of Justice at The Hague.
The Hague Conference on Private International Law aims at developing legislation relating to private international law. It also facilitates the World Organisation for Cross Border Cooperation in Civil and Commercial Matters.
It provides the bridges of confluence between different States’ legal systems and international laws, through the preparation, negotiation and adoption of multilateral treaties referred to as The Hague Conventions – aimed at enhancing global citizenship.
Ms Wachira said the cross border civil procedures relating to the service of process and submission of evidence abroad, choice of court agreements and access to justice are of great importance to Kenya.
The government is also faced with increased challenges that relate to cross border movement of persons for education, employment and relocation to other countries. The challenges concern the authentication of public documents, parental child abduction, inter-country adoptions, as well as the protection of children.
Though Kenya is a non-member State to The Hague Conference, it has however accented to the 1993 Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in respect of Inter-country adoption.
Accompanying Ms Wachira at the joint meeting between Kenya and the Permanent Bureau of The Hague Convention on Private International Law was the Director of Legal Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ms Stella Munyi and other senior government officials.
They pledged to push for the country’s membership to the world’s oldest organisation with a membership of 81 States and 79 non-member States.