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Establishment of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law

A/RES/2205(XXI)View PDF

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, published in 1966.

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

2 entities

A dot marks an entity citing this document in its “Mandates and background” narrative rather than only its Legislative mandates list. Many do both.

iExtracted automatically from each entity’s budget submission.

What subjects does this mandate have?

6 topics
Election of MembersEstablishmentInternational Trade LawMembersTerms of ReferenceWork Organization

What does this mandate say?

29 operative paragraphs

I

II Organization and Functions of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law

1
The Commission shall consist of twenty-nine States, elected by the General Assembly for a term of six years, except as provided in paragraph 2 of the present resolution. In electing the members of the Commission, the Assembly shall observe the following distribution of seats:
a
Seven from African States;
b
Five from Asian States;
c
Four from Eastern European States;
d
Five from Latin American States;
e
Eight from Western European and other States.
2
Of the members elected at the first election, to be held at the twenty-second session of the General Assembly, the terms of fourteen members shall expire at the end of three years. The President of the General Assembly shall select these members within each of the five groups of States referred to in paragraph 1 above, by drawing lots.
3
The members elected at the first election shall take office on 1 January 1968. Subsequently, the members shall take office on 1 January of the year following each election.
4
The representatives of members on the Commission shall be appointed by Member States in so far as possible from among persons of eminence in the field of the law of international trade.
5
Retiring members shall be eligible for re-election.
6
The Commission shall normally hold one regular session a year. It shall, if there are no technical difficulties, meet alternately at United Nations Headquarters and at the United Nations Office at Geneva.
7
The Secretary-General shall make available to the Commission the appropriate staff and facilities required by the Commission to fulfil its task.
8
The Commission shall further the progressive harmonization and unification of the law of international trade by :
a
Co-ordinating the work of organizations active in this field and encouraging co-operation among them ;
b
Promoting wider participation in existing international conventions and wider acceptance of existing model and uniform laws ;
c
Preparing or promoting the adoption of new international conventions, model laws and uniform laws and promoting the codification and wider acceptance of international trade terms, provisions, customs and practices, in collaboration, where appropriate, with the organizations operating in this field ;
d
Promoting ways and means of ensuring a uniform interpretation and application of international conventions and uniform laws in the field of the law of international trade ;
e
Collecting and disseminating information on national legislation and modern legal developments, including case law, in the field of the law of international trade ;
f
Establishing and maintaining a close collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development ;
g
Maintaining liaison with other United Nations organs and specialized agencies concerned with international trade ;
h
Taking any other action it may deem useful to fulfil its functions.
9
The Commission shall bear in mind the interests of all peoples, and particularly those of developing countries, in the extensive development of international trade.
10
The Commission shall submit an annual report, including its recommendations, to the General Assembly, and the report shall be submitted simultaneously to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development for comments. Any such comments or recommendations which the Conference or the Trade and Development Board may wish to make, including suggestions on topics for inclusion in the work of the Commission, shall be transmitted to the General Assembly in accordance with the relevant provisions of Assembly resolution 1995 (XIX) of 30 December 1964. Any other recommendations relevant to the work of the Commission which the Conference or the Board may wish to make shall be similarly transmitted to the General Assembly.
11
The Commission may consult with or request the services of any international or national organization, scientific institution and individual expert, on any subject entrusted to it, if it considers such consultation or services might assist it in the performance of its functions.
12
The Commission may establish appropriate working relationships with intergovernmental organizations and international non-governmental organizations concerned with the progressive harmonization and unification of the law of international trade.

III

1
Requests the Secretary-General, pending the election of the Commission, to carry out the preparatory work necessary for the organization of the work of the Commission and, in particular :
a
To invite Member States to submit in writing before 1 July 1967, taking into account in particular the report of the Secretary-General,10 comments on a programme of work to be undertaken by the Commission in discharging its functions under paragraph 8 of section II above ;
b
To request similar comments from the organs and organizations referred to in paragraph 8 (f) and (g) and in paragraph 12 of section II above ;
2
Decides to include an item entitled “Election of the members of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law” in the provisional agenda of its twenty-second session.

iParagraph content is machine-extracted from UN documents. For authoritative content, please refer to the official UN document.

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