Research Guides: International Trade Law : Research Guide: United Nations Trade Bodies

United Nations Commission on International Trade Law

United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) was created by the UN General Assembly in 1966 with the mandate of reducing obstacles to international trade. The General Assembly understood that existing national trade laws were disparate and recognized that there needed to be an international commission whose purpose is to work toward a more unified concept of international trade law. One of UNCITRAL's missions is the creation of model laws in areas of international trade, as a means of fostering uniformity in trade laws, with the intent that the participating nations will adopt the laws. The Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration is one example of the work of UNCITRAL.

UNCITRAL is composed of representatives from the sixty member states. Previously, the membership was twenty-five nations, but as June 14, 2004, it increased to the current sixty. Each member is elected by the General Assembly for a six-year term. Membership of UNCITRAL is structured to be representative of geographic regions, economic systems and legal systems.

To see more background and reference works available at Law Library, including older editions, please try these advanced catalog searches on Clio:

Subject: UNCITRAL
Title: UNCITRAL
Title: UNCITRAL AND Title: guide
Title: UNCITRAL AND Title: manual
Subject: united nations commission on international trade law
Title: united nations commission on international trade law
Title: united nations commission on international trade law AND Title: guide
Title: united nations commission on international trade law AND Title: manual

You can find a selected list of publications below.

Introductory Resources

UNCITRAL Homepage
This is the official United Nations' webpage for UNCITRAL. It is accessible in the six official languages of the U.N. Information is available relating to the general mission of UNCITRAL, its working groups and areas of interest and current projects.. The full texts of the model rules created by the Commission are available, as are legal guides on related subjects. The website is easy to navigate and search and UNCITRAL has prepared a Research Guide to assist users in finding documents (this is located on the left menu on the main page).

UNCITRAL - The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (e-book) by UNCITRAL
Publication Date: 2017

This book serves as an introduction to UNCITRAL. Its purpose is to provide an overview to UNCITRAL for anyone with an interest in international trade. Written in clear language, it covers the background, organization and functioning of the commission. There are sections describing the formation of UNCITRAL and its general procedures for conducting business. Other chapters focus on the different areas of interest for the commission, such as international sale of goods and transport of goods, and describe the works of the commission in these areas. Included in the volume is the text of the General Assembly Resolution establishing UNCITRAL, as well as the full text of the agreements and other materials that have resulted from the work of the commission.
Uniform Commercial Law in the 21st Century (e-book) by United Nations Commission On International Trade Law
Publication Date: 1992

The volume is a collection of speeches during the Congress of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law which took place in May 1992. The Congress was intended as a session whereby participants could considered and review the progress made in the unification of international trade law since the inception of UNCITRAL. It was also meant to be a stage for consideration of future projects for UNCITRAL to further its mission. The book provides a historical look at the origins of UNCITRAL and a clear review of its main projects in areas such as sales of goods, commercial arbitration and dispute settlement. In considering the future, ideas were presented about how UNCITRAL should operate in a changing world and how to gain wider acceptance of the model laws.
Also available in print, Call Number JX1976.A49 V Un32 1992
UNCITRAL legal guide on international countertrade transactions (e-book) by United Nations Commission On International Trade Law
Publication Date: 1992

This guide was written to provide a framework for international countertrade transactions. Since one of UNCITRAL's objectives was to develop more uniformity in international trade laws, creating a legal guide with recommendations, suggestions and advice about how countertrade transactions should operate in the international arena fall within its area of interest. The volume sets out definitions of key terms, describes approaches to structuring the transactions and provides lists of suggested contract clauses. There are recommendations regarding drafting of the contracts and chapters focus on specific aspects of the process, such as pricing and payment, failure to complete the transaction and dispute settlement. While this book applies to a specific area of international law, it is a good example to show how UNCITRAL operates. It also provides an overview for researchers looking for information on international countertrade transactions.
United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Yearbook 2009 (e-book) by United Nations (Other Primary Creator)
Publication Date: 2013

The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) is the core legal body of the United Nations system in the field of international trade law. It specializes in the modernization and harmonization of rules on international business. The Commission is composed of sixty Member States elected by the General Assembly. This Yearbook reproduces the substantive documents prepared each year for the Commission and its working groups. It also includes the annual Report of the Commission, meeting records, General Assembly resolutions and Sixth Committee reports related to UNCITRAL's work, as well as a bibliography of recent scholarly writings examining the legal texts prepared by UNCITRAL.

UNCITRAL Model Rules

UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration (e-book) by United Nations, Commission on International Trade Law
Publication Date: 2008

Recognizing the value of arbitration as a method of settling disputes arising in international commercial relations and to make all efforts to ensure that the revised articles of the Model Law and the recommendations become widely known and available, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law has produced this publication to include the full text of the Model Law with amendments as adopted in 2006.
UNCITRAL Conciliation Rules (e-book)
Publication Date: 1980

This volume sets out the conciliation rules developed by UNCITRAL. Adopted by the United Nations in General Assembly Resolution 35/52 in 1980, this set of rules would bind parties who have consented to the rules and who seek to settle their disputes through conciliation. The rules set out the process for dispute settlement, including appointment of conciliator, submission of statements and acceptance of settlement agreement.

Case Law Resources

Case Law on UNCITRAL Texts (CLOUT)
Case Law on UNCITRAL Texts (CLOUT) is a full text database of cases relating to the texts of the Model Rules developed by UNCITRAL. It is accessed through the left side menu on the main UNCITRAL page. The intent of presenting the decisions was to foster a greater understanding of the rules and facilitate a more uniform interpretation and application of them. A list of case abstracts is available for researchers who already have the U.N. document case citation. There is a User's Guide linked to the CLOUT mainpage which explains the organization and search capacity of the site, which is an excellent place to begin the research process on CLOUT.
UNCITRAL Digest
Following the creation of the Model Law, many countries proceeded to adopt its provisions into their national laws. The Digests were designed to present selected information on its interpretation, and to support the goal of uniform interpretation.

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was established in 1964. Its purpose was to promote and encourage international trade and economic development in developing countries. It was also designed to create policies and principles on international trade which would further the positions of developing nations. The movement toward such a trade body began following World War II and culminated in the Conference on Problems of Developing Countries held in Cairo in 1962. Representatives from Asian, African and Latin American countries met and in the Cairo Declaration advocated for the creation of a conference to explore and expand the trade relations between developing and developed nations. Eastern European countries quickly supported the Cairo Declaration's call for a conference, while economically developed countries were reluctant to support such a goal. The United Nations Economic and Social Council decided in August 1962 to hold the conference and following much debate, UNCTAD came into existence. Since it had been determined that there is significant linkage between international trade and development within a country, it followed that there should be an international body devoted to expanding trade opportunities for developing nations.

To see more background and reference works available at the Law Library, including older editions, please try these advanced catalog searches on Clio:

Title: UNCTAD
Subject: UNCTAD
Title: united nations conference on trade and development
Title: united nations conference on trade and development AND Title: guide
Title: united nations conference on trade and development AND Title: manual

You can find a selected list of publications below.

UNCTAD Founding Documents

UNCTAD Basic Documents
This volume provides access to the documents that established the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and that have structured its organization and procedures. There are lists of the members of UNCTAD and its related committees and working groups. Information relating to the standing committees' activities and memberships are included. A useful aspect of the book is the inclusion of a chart showing the intergovernmental structure of UNCTAD. Since it was published in 1995, the membership lists are not up to date and there are documents that were implemented after the date of publication which would have to be found elsewhere. However, this is a useful volume because it pulls together an important group of documents relating to the creation and running of UNCTAD.
UNCTAD Rules of Procedure
The Rules of Procedure set forth the process of how UNCTAD operates. It states the time period for holding conferences, notification requirements and the composition of delegates at the conferences. It also discusses the election of the officers for the conference, the rules of order relating to the speeches and debates and the reporting process for the results of the conference. The Rules are arranged chronological within the process of the conference, from convening to adjourning and the volume includes a table of contents for easy access to the relevant rule.

Introductory & Historical Resources

UNCTAD Homepage
This website provides information relating to the development and activities of UNCTAD. Sections relate to the history of the Conference and the current programs and projects of the organs of UNCTAD. The site provides access to the annual report, trade statistical reports, and a wealth of other materials created by UNCTAD. Updates relating to the most recent Conference, held in Sao Paulo, and workshops being presented are available. Some UNCTAD documents are available in full text, while abstracts are provided for others with instructions on how to order them. The documents database can be browsed or searched, depending on the needs of the researcher.

The History of UNCTAD 1964-1984 by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Staff (Contribution by)
Call Number: JX1976.A49 II Un12

Publication Date: 1986

Written to mark the twentieth anniversary of UNCTAD, this volume provides a look at what UNCTAD has succeeded in doing since its founding. Following a general introduction, highlighted by the speech given by the UNCTAD Secretary-General, this book reviews the policy initiatives started by the member countries, in furtherance of the mission of the conference. For each subject area, there is an overview of the situation both pre-UNCTAD and as a result of UNCTAD activities. Information is also provided about future actions planned or considered by UNCTAD member countries. Although this book is not current, it serves as a historical overview of the progress made by UNCTAD for developing countries in its first twenty years.
UNCTAD for a new economic order by Haquani, Zalmai
Call Number: JX1976.A236 H2

Publication Date: 1978

This book presents an introduction to UNCTAD and illustrates the reasons that lead to its development. Published in 1978, this book is a historical look at developing countries and push for an international trade body to assist them in furthering international trade goals. Chapters include discussions of UNCTAD's origins, its structure and its working methods.
Law-making activities of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development by Rhyne, Charles S.
Call Number: JX1977.T6 R34

Publication Date: 1976

This volume provides a snapshot in time for UNCTAD activities in a selection of areas of interest. It begins with a review of the origins of UNCTAD and then looks in depth at the specific areas where UNCTAD has acted for developing countries. Agreements relating to commodities, manufacturing and the transfer of technology are explained and analyzed in relation to how they affect the status of developing countries. The book also briefly discusses UNCTAD's attempts for negotiate multilateral trade treaties between developing and developed nations.

Statistical Resources

UNCTAD Statistical Pocket Book by United Nations Conference On Trade And Development Staff
Call Number: JX1976.A49 II St125 1994

Publication Date: 1994

This compendium of statistics provides tables of data relating to the countries in UNCTAD. It covers a range of areas, including gross domestic product, commodities trading, manufacturing exports foreign direct investment, and shows how member nations' status in these areas has developed since the founding of UNCTAD. Since the charts and graphs are presented without analysis, this volume is for researches who are interested in doing statistical analysis in one of the subjects areas represented.