General Resources

RESOURCES

About the UNCITRAL Working Groups:
An Introduction

UNCITRAL has established six working groups to perform substantive preparatory work on topics within its program of work.

Specifically, ‘mandates’ or legal tasks are assigned by the Commission to each of the six Working Groups. Each Working Group is usually given one major mandate at a time, although some mandates may give rise to several related texts, such as a Model Law and an associated Guide to Enactment.

The Commission meets once a year in July, alternating between Vienna in New York, for a 2-3 week period. At each meeting it assigns new mandates, and reviews the progress on existing mandates through reports from each of the Working Groups. These Working Groups are composed of representatives from all member States of the Commission.

Once a text is completed by a Working Group, meaning complete consensus on all of the terms of the text has been reached, it is then considered in detail by the Commission. Finalisation (adoption) by the Commission gives the text its official status. This is not a formality, even though the Commission will have been involved in prior meetings considering the work on the text as it has been progressed. Certain texts, such as conventions, require approval by the UN General Assembly before they are finalised.

Scroll through (left or right) to find out more about each of the six Working Groups or navigate to find out more about UNCCA's work in connection with each Working Group:

Working Group I: Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

Working Group II: Arbitration and Conciliation/Dispute Settlement

Working Group III: Investor-State Dispute Resolution

Working Group IV: Electronic Commerce

Working Group V: Insolvency Law

Working Group VI: Judicial Sale of Ships

Find out more!

UNCITRAL Resources

CLOUT Case Database

The Case Law on UNCITRAL Texts (CLOUT) database is a valuable resource for practitioners, academics, and researchers interested in international trade law. CLOUT is a comprehensive collection of court decisions and arbitral awards related to UNCITRAL texts, including conventions, model laws, and other legal instruments. The database aims to promote uniform interpretation and application of UNCITRAL texts worldwide.

The CLOUT database boasts several key features that enhance its utility for users. It includes a comprehensive collection of cases from numerous jurisdictions worldwide, focusing primarily on UNCITRAL texts such as the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG). Users can take advantage of robust search functionality, allowing them to filter results by country, legislative text, and other criteria, along with advanced options for more precise inquiries. Each case is accompanied by a CLOUT Abstract, providing a concise summary of the key legal issues and decisions involved. Additionally, the database is accessible in the six official UN languages—Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.

CLOUT relies on an international network of contributors, known as the CLOUT Network, comprising experts in various UNCITRAL subject areas - including UNCCA members.

UNCITRAL Law Library

The UNOV Library Catalogue is a comprehensive online resource that provides access to a vast collection of materials relevant to international law, trade, and United Nations organizations. It catalogues the UNCITRAL Law Library among many other relevant databases.

UNCITRAL's Digital Library offers a comprehensive collection of documents related to international trade law, including Official Records of the United Nations General Assembly, Yearbooks, Working Group reports, and Commission reports. Additionally, it features bibliographies that list relevant literature, supporting researchers and practitioners in their studies of UNCITRAL's work.

UNCITRAL Colloquia

Each year the Secretariat of UNCITRAL collates a bibliography of articles and other resources relating to the work of UNCITRAL.

Texts and Status
Information about the status of UNCITRAL texts is tracked across each Working Group. A central landing page for texts and their status is maintained by UNCITRAL, with a single overview available in PDF format.

Other resources

Various other helpful resources are available on UNCITRAL's On-line Resources and Webcasts page.