In 1985, the American Continent had already opened their doors for us in 1985, in particular the beautiful province of Quebec and its capital Montreal.

The constant progression of the number of members of UIHJ (nearly 70 today) tells us to expect a vast participation of delegations from Europe and Africa.

The recent membership of Thailand will presumably mark the presence, for the first time, of representatives of the Asian continent.

Beyond the purely statutory routine sessions, the congress has four highlights:
- the opening ceremony
- the works of the congress and the video session
- the world conference
- the presentation of the new board

We will add to this picture another sequence with a closing ceremony more formal than usual.

Now a few words about the works of the congress... They are in the straight line with the big projects in preparation with the perspective of a worldwide code of enforcement at the centre of the debates.

Regarding the international conference that will bring together a college of Academics and experts from the widest organisations in the world (Council of Europe, Hague Conference on International Private Law, Ohada, Unidroit, Ali, ...), it will deal with the specially sensitive question of harmonisation of procedures in a European area of justice with no boundaries.

We have here a theme that reflects the whole ambition of UIHJ of fulfilling his objectives of contributing to the implementation of a more accessible and efficient justice to meet the expectancies of the people who, according to polls, are more and more wary of the traditional judicial system.

The Congress will also see the renewal of the members of the executive board of UIHJ. The board comprises 10 members spread out amongst the continents with minimum geographical quotas. The candidates necessarily come from the national delegations.

For UIHJ, this congress, set on the land of the most powerful country in the world, with a strong Anglo-Saxon culture, will be a historical moment as it marks the realization of an objective: the coming together, with the Romano-Germanic school, of two cultures which are not incompatible, as the works of the congress will demonstrate.

Judicial officers from Europe and Africa know little of their American colleagues, and American judicial officers know little of their colleagues from over the Atlantic.

Nevertheless, the functioning of the profession on each part of the ocean is very similar. The tasks are identical and the Constables - even the civil Sheriffs - are in many ways comparable to judicial officers from France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, ...

In a world avid of knowledge and communication, in a professional world that never stops to broaden with the European Union or Ohada, everyone in our profession is called, “for the needs of the service”, to internationalise his knowledge as well as his relations...

This is what Washington has to offer, for everyone's benefit.
Washington is also a very hospitable capital, with a strong culture and architecture. As we know, it is also very different from New York where a post congress (short) trip has been organized.

And finally, it can be revealed that the Organizational Committee is chaired by Sue Collins, who is certainly “the most European of Americans”.