Secretary General, HCCH

Dr Christophe Bernasconi has been Secretary General since July 2013. He first joined the Permanent Bureau (PB) in 1997 as Secretary, became First Secretary in 2000, and Deputy Secretary General 2011. In addition to overseeing the execution of the work programme of the HCCH as mandated by its Members and managing the operations of the PB, Dr Bernasconi also has primary responsibility for the 1961 Apostille Convention (including the electronic Apostille Programme, or e-APP). He holds a law degree from Fribourg University (magna cum laude), an LL.M. degree from McGill University, and a doctoral degree from Fribourg University (summa cum laude). Prior to joining the Permanent Bureau, he was assistant to Professor Paul Volken at the University of Fribourg, where he taught extensively in private international law. He also worked as Legal Expert at the Swiss Institute of Comparative Law, and as Scientific Collaborator at the Federal Office of Justice in Switzerland.