VIENNA, 13 July (UN Information Service) – The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) concluded its fifty-ninth annual session at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 10 July, advancing significant reforms and legal developments aimed at making international trade more efficient, predictable and responsive to the needs of a rapidly evolving global economy.
Finalization of legal texts
The key legislative outcomes of the session related to UNCITRAL’s work on investor-State dispute settlement (ISDS) reform and international arbitration.
With respect to ISDS reform, the Commission finalized the draft Statute of the Advisory Centre on International Investment Dispute Resolution, which will be submitted to the United Nations General Assembly for adoption, and adopted the UNCITRAL Supplementary Provisions on the Conduct of Proceedings to Resolve International Investment Disputes (see here).
With respect to international arbitration, the Commission adopted (i) a Recommendation regarding the interpretation of the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (New York Convention) with respect to arbitral awards in electronic form; (ii) revisions to the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration and accompanying explanatory materials; and (iii) an additional note to the UNCITRAL Notes on Organizing Arbitral Proceedings (see here).
Ongoing and future work
The Commission reviewed progress made by its working groups, in particular dispute settlement, ISDS reform, electronic commerce, insolvency law and negotiable cargo documents.
In relation to future work, the Commission deliberated and decided upon work in the areas of dispute resolution in the digital economy, consolidation of UNCITRAL texts on electronic commerce, paperless trade, digital payments, digital platforms, secured transactions involving digital assets, insolvency law, public procurement and automated contracting.
The Commission also considered measures to improve its methods of work, with a view to enhancing efficiency, cost-effectiveness and responsiveness to emerging developments in international trade and technology.
Coordination, technical assistance and outreach
The Commission considered reports on coordination and non-legislative activities, including technical assistance and capacity-building initiatives undertaken by the UNCITRAL secretariat. Those activities continue to support efficiency, consistency and coherence in international trade law and the implementation and uniform interpretation of UNCITRAL texts worldwide and remain essential components of UNCITRAL’s mandate. A brochure highlighting non-legislative activities in 2025 is available here.
Significant events ahead
The Commission was updated on preparations for the signing ceremony for the United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents to be held in Accra, Ghana on 26 October 2026 and reiterated the call by the General Assembly for States and regional economic integration organizations to consider becoming Parties to the Convention.
The Commission welcomed preparations for UNCITRAL’s 60th anniversary, which involves a series of events organized across the globe from July 2026 to July 2027 and includes a celebratory event at the Vienna International Centre on 17 December 2026, exactly 60 years since the General Assembly adopted the resolution establishing UNCITRAL. The anniversary will provide an opportunity to reflect on six decades of work toward the progressive harmonization and modernization of international trade law and to consider UNCITRAL’s future role in addressing the legal challenges and opportunities arising from digital transformation and other developments. An interview with the Secretary of UNCITRAL, Ms. Anna Joubin-Bret, regarding UNCITRAL’s 60th anniversary is available here.
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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. Its mandate is to remove legal obstacles to international trade by progressively modernizing and harmonizing trade law. It prepares legal texts in a number of key areas such as international commercial dispute settlement, electronic commerce, insolvency, international payments, sale of goods, transport law, procurement and infrastructure development.
UNCITRAL also provides technical assistance to law reform activities, including assisting Member States to review and assess their law reform needs and to draft the legislation required to implement UNCITRAL texts. The UNCITRAL secretariat is located in Vienna, Austria. For more information, visit: uncitral.un.org.
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For information, please contact:
Neale Bergman
Senior Legal Officer
UNCITRAL secretariat
Email: neale.bergman[at]un.org
