At the successful conclusion of the 59th session of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), held in New York from 29 June to 10 July 2026, chaired by H.E. Dr. Michael Imran Kanu, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone to the UN, and as UNCITRAL approaches its 60th anniversary, the Commission delivered landmark outcomes for the international trade law:
✅ ISDS reform: Finalization of the draft Statute of the Advisory Centre on International Investment Dispute Resolution — to be submitted to the UN General Assembly for adoption — and adoption of the UNCITRAL Supplementary Provisions on the Conduct of Proceedings to Resolve International Investment Disputes. Together, these represent historic progress in making investor-State dispute settlement more accessible, particularly for developing States.
✅ International arbitration in the digital age: Adoption of a Recommendation on the interpretation of the New York Convention with respect to arbitral awards in electronic form; revisions to the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration; and an additional note to the UNCITRAL Notes on Organizing Arbitral Proceedings.
✅ A forward-looking work programme: Decisions on future work spanning dispute resolution in the digital economy, consolidation of e-commerce texts, paperless trade, digital payments, digital platforms, secured transactions involving digital assets, insolvency law, public procurement and automated contracting.
The Commission also paid solemn tribute to the late H.E. Ms. Julia Emma Villatoro Tario of El Salvador, Chair of the 58th session.
Looking ahead, the United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents will open for signature in Accra, Ghana on 26 October 2026 — a proud moment for Africa — and UNCITRAL will mark its 60th anniversary with events worldwide from July 2026 to July 2027, culminating in a celebration in Vienna on 17 December 2026.
Sierra Leone’s chairmanship of the 59th session reflects our abiding commitment to multilateralism and the progressive harmonization and modernization of international trade law.
