From May 13 to 16, 2026, the International Union of Notaries (UINL) held its institutional meetings in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, bringing together notaries from around the world as part of its General Council.
On this occasion, the general councillors were warmly welcomed by the Bolivian notariat, chaired by Stenka Udaeta España, reflecting Bolivia’s active commitment within the international notarial community.
Prior to the main meetings, the American Affairs Commission of the UINL convened on May 12 and 13, 2026, providing an opportunity to address issues specific to the American continent and strengthen regional cooperation.
Simultaneously, the various UINL commissions and working groups met: the Human Rights Commission, Notarial Deontology, Themes and Congresses, the Advisory Commission, the International Notarial Cooperation Commission (CCNI), and the working groups International Organizations, Anti-Money Laundering, and Digital and Authenticity.
An International Forum at the Heart of Contemporary Issues
As part of the General Council, a forum brought together notaries from diverse backgrounds around essential themes, illustrating the central role of the notariat in our societies.
🔹 The Notary as a Key Player in Preventing Money Laundering
This first panel, moderated by the UINL Vice-President for South America, Mario César Romero Valdevieso, brought together high-level speakers: Carlos Contreras, a Bolivian expert in anti-money laundering, Ricardo Vargas, President of the Mexican Notariat, Thierry Vachon, President of the UINL’s CCNI and notary in France, and José Ignacio González, UINL general councillor and notary in Spain.
The discussions highlighted the fundamental role of the notariat in preventing money laundering, through adapted vigilance and control mechanisms.
🔹 Pacifying Society Through Notarial Mediation
The second panel, moderated by French notary and mediator Corinne Dessertenne-Brossard, UINL general councillor, brought together Argentine notary Graciela Curuchelar, director of the mediation academy in Argentina; Italian notary Valentina Rubertelli, President of the UINL European Affairs Commission; Ivorian notary and mediator Mahoua Koné, UINL Vice-President for Africa; Senegalese notary Fatou Ballo Thiam, President of the UINL Commission on Themes and Congresses; Mexican notary Selene Cabrera García, President of the Commission on International Affairs of the Mexican Notariat; and Chinese notary Cai Yon, Vice-President of the UINL Commission “Themes and Congresses”.
The presentations underscored the growing importance of notarial mediation as an effective conflict resolution tool, contributing to social peace and the prevention of disputes.
These meetings once again demonstrated the UINL’s ability to unite the world’s notariats around shared values and to promote the role of the notary as an essential actor in legal security, transparency, and social cohesion.
