Public procurement and infrastructure P U B L I C A T I O N S The Secretariat produces

development UNCITRAL Legal Guide on Drawing a number of publications on the work of

Up International Contracts for the Construction of UNCITRAL, including a Yearbook of the papers
Industrial Works (1988) • UNCITRAL Model Law on and meeting reports produced each year;
Procurement of Goods, Construction and Services booklets and CD ROMs reproducing texts of the
(1994) • UNCITRAL Legislative Guide on Privately Conventions, Model Laws and legal guides;
Financed Infrastructure Projects (2001) and Model FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
explanatory notes on the various UNCITRAL
Provisions (2003)
texts; and a list indicating the current status of
FACTS ABOUT
United Nations
International payments UNCITRAL Model Law adoption and implementation of conventions Commission on International Trade Law
on International Credit Transfers (1992) • United and model laws.
(UNCITRAL)
Nations Convention on Independent Guarantees
and Stand-by Letters of Credit (1995)• United
Nations Convention on the Assignment of United Nations Commission on
Vienna International Centre
UNCITRAL
International Trade Law

UNCITRAL PO Box 500 UNITED NATIONS COMMISSION

Receivables in International Trade (2001) YEARBOOK
Model Legislative Provisions

on Privately Financed

Infrastructure Projects
UNCITRAL
Model Law on
A1400 Vienna, AUSTRIA ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE LAW
Electronic Signatures

Electronic commerce UNCITRAL Model Law on Volume XXXIII: 2002 Prepared by the United Nations
with
Guide to Enactment
2001
Tel: +(43) (1) 26060-4060
Commission on International Trade Law

Electronic Commerce (1996) • UNCITRAL Model FAX: +(43) (1) 26060-5813

United Nations

Law on Electronic Signatures (2001) UNITED NATIONS Email: uncitral@uncitral.org

UNITED NATIONS

A legal body with universal

t Today, a Russian reader can purchase a book
Visit UNCITRAL on the Internet
printed in the US from a German web site with a few membership specializing in
clicks of the mouse. However, the expansion of
t The UNCITRAL Law Library collection focuses http://www.uncitral.org
mainly on international trade law and in particular, law reform worldwide
E-commerce, both for business and for private use,
on UNCITRAL's area of work. It has more than 8,000

V.04-57239—September 2004—2,000
creates a number of legal challenges. Which “click”
volumes and 100 periodicals, as well as electronic
will validly conclude the contract? Under what
resources. Materials date back to the establishment
circumstances will an electronic signature have the
of the library in August 1979. The catalogue of the
same value as a hand-written one? The UNCITRAL
library is accessible on the Internet via OPAC (On-

Printed in Austria
Model Laws on Electronic Commerce and Electronic
line Public Access Catalogue). The UNCITRAL Law
Signatures provide a uniform framework to address
Library is a reference library only: loans are
these issues.
therefore not possible. It is open from 9:00 hours to
17:00 hours, and accessible only by appointment.
Insolvency UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross- Please contact the library by emailing
Border Insolvency (1997) • Legislative Guide on uncitral@uncitral.org, at least three days before the
Insolvency Law (2004) planned visit, specifying the subject area of research
and your contact address.
It is widely accepted that trade creates wealth and M E M B E R S H I P The Commission Model law: a set of model legislative provisions A C H I E V E M E N T S Over the last 24 years,
is essential to the economic health of the world. comprises 60 member States elected by the that States can adopt by enacting it into UNCITRAL has completed major international
But who works out the rules for international United Nations General Assembly for a term national law. texts on the sale of goods, transport, dispute
trade and decides how payments should be made of six years. Membership is structured to Legislative guide: a text that provides guidance resolution, procurement and infrastructure
and disputes are to be settled? ensure representation of the world's various for the development of laws, discussing relevant development, international payments, electronic
geographic regions and its principal economic policy issues and choices and recommending commerce and insolvency. International
and legal systems. appropriate legislative solutions. arbitration, transport law, electronic commerce,
When world trade began to expand insolvency law, security interests and public
Contractual rules: standard clauses or rules
dramatically in the 1960s, national W O R K M E T H O D S Texts designed procurement are the focus of current work.
designed to be included in commercial contracts.
governments began to realize the need for a to simplify trade transactions and reduce
associated costs are developed by working Legal guide: a text that provides guidance for Sale of goods United Nations Convention on
global set of standards and rules to harmonize
groups comprising all member States of the drafting of contracts, discussing relevant Contracts for the International Sale of Goods
and modernize the assortment of national and
UNCITRAL, which meet once or twice per year. issues and recommending solutions appro- (Vienna, 1980) • UNCITRAL Legal Guide on
regional regulations, which until then largely International Countertrade Transactions (1992)
Non-member States and interested interna- priate to particular circumstances.
governed international trade. They turned to
tional and regional organizations are also Transport of goods United Nations Convention
the United Nations, which in 1966 recognized TECHNICAL LEGISLATIVE
invited and can actively contribute to the work on the Carriage of Goods by Sea (Hamburg, 1978)
the need for it to play a more active role in since decisions are taken by consensus, not by A S S I S T A N C E One of UNCITRAL's priorities
removing legal obstacles to the flow of vote. Draft texts completed by these working is providing technical legislative assistance for t More than 90 per cent of the world trade is carried
international trade and established the groups are submitted to UNCITRAL for modernization of trade laws and commercial by ship. Many of the exotic goods and commodities
United Nations Commission on International finalization and adoption at its annual session. practices. In addition to promoting under- surrounding us reach us in this way. Many of them
Trade Law (UNCITRAL). UNCITRAL has since standing of international trade law texts and actually change hands several times during their
become the core legal body of the United S E C R E T A R I A T The International Trade the benefits they can bring to the expansion voyage at sea. What happens in the case of loss of
Law Division of the United Nations Office of of international trade, UNCITRAL assists States cargo? What if it is difficult or impossible to ascertain
Nations system in the field of international
Legal Affairs provides substantive secretariat to develop the laws required to implement the moment when the loss occurred? UNCITRAL's work
trade law.
services to UNCITRAL, such as conducting these legislative texts and commercial in the field of maritime law provides States with a
Much of the complex network of international research and preparing studies and drafts. associations to promote the use of common legal framework, establishing clear rules that
legal rules and agreements that affects today's non-legislative rules. contribute to reducing transport costs for the benefit
T R A D E L A W T E X T S UNCITRAL develops of us, the final consumers.
commercial arrangements has been reached
different types of texts to modernize and C L O U T The Case Law on UNCITRAL Texts
through long and detailed consultations and Dispute resolution UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules
harmonize the law of international trade. These system is a collection of court decisions and
negotiations organized by UNCITRAL. Its aim is (1976) • UNCITRAL Conciliation Rules (1980) •
texts are generally legislative in nature, such as arbitral awards interpreting UNCITRAL texts.
to remove or reduce legal obstacles to the flow Recommendations to assist arbitral tribunals
conventions, model laws and legislative guides, Currently, CLOUT includes case abstracts in the
of international trade and progressively and other interested bodies with regard to
or non-legislative texts such as contractual rules six United Nations languages on the United
modernize and harmonize trade laws. It also arbitrations under the UNCITRAL Arbitration
that can be incorporated into commercial Nations Convention on Contracts for the Rules (1982) • UNCITRAL Model Law on
seeks to coordinate the work of organizations contracts and legal guides. International Sale of Goods (CISG) (Vienna, 1980) International Commercial Arbitration (1985)
active in this type of work and promote wider Convention: an agreement among States and the UNCITRAL Model Law on International UNCITRAL Notes on Organizing Arbitral
acceptance and use of the rules and legal texts establishing obligations binding upon those Commercial Arbitration (1985). Other texts will Proceedings (1996) • UNCITRAL Model Law on
it develops. States that ratify or accede to it. be added as case law becomes available. International Commercial Conciliation (2002)