Lots of news this Spring from the Hague Conference., which announced in March that Cristophe Bernasconi will be the new Secretary General when Hans Van Loon retires at the end of June. The year began with news that Queen Elizabeth II washonoring William Duncan, who stepped down as Deputy Secretary General in 2012, with an appointment to the Order of St. Michael and St. George, for his work in international law, particularly international child protection.

As of January 1, 2013, the 2007 Family Maintenance Convention has entered into force, and is now in effect between Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Norway.  Swaziland joined the Hague Adoption Convention in March, bringing the total number of contracting states to 90.