The Apostille Convention, or AC, is a mechanism designed to streamline the process by which a document issued in one state that belongs to the convention can be legally certified for use in another member state. Certification under the convention is called a Hague apostille or just 'apostille' because the Hague Conference on Private International Law drafted the treaty. An apostille issued by the state from which the document originates certifies the document. It removes the need for further certification in the recipient country.