Legal Co-Operation

Assistance in Legislative Drafting

Description

The experience UNIDROIT has gained in the preparation of legislative instruments (be they mandatory or not), has made the organisation a reliable partner for countries or regional integration groups intending to modernise or reform their legislation, in particular developing countries or countries in transition to a market economy, by reason of the quality and fairness which characterise the drafting of uniform rules by its bodies.

A particularly indicative example is the mandate conferred upon UNIDROIT by the Council of Ministers of the Organisation for the Harmonisation of Business Law in Africa (OHADA), which has 16 French-speaking States of Western and Central Africa as members, to offer its expertise with a view to the preparation of a draft uniform law of contract in the light of the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts. This work, which received special funding from the Swiss Government, was carried out by Professor Marcel Fontaine (Emeritus Professor, University of Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgian member of the UNIDROIT Principles Working Group).

Who Benefits?

Developing countries and countries in economic transition to a market economy

Funds Needed

€ 60,000 per annum to cover staffing costs to provide advice on the preparation of legislation in developing countries and those in transition to a market economy. Special programmes may be agreed by the governments of recipient countries and UNIDROIT in relation to specific projects, eg secured transactions, insolvency, civil procedures, contract law, carriage of goods, capital markets law.