Welcome to the CISG Advisory Council (CISG-AC)
Scope and Aims
The CISG-AC is a private initiative which aims at promoting a uniform interpretation of the CISG. It is a private initiative in the sense that its members do not represent countries or legal cultures, but they are scholars who look beyond the cooking pot for ideas and for a more profound understanding of issues relating to the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods of 11 April 1980 (CISG).
The CISG Advisory Council was founded on the initiative of the inspirational late Prof Albert Kritzer of the Institute of International Commercial Law in 2001. Prof Kritzer was at the forefront of the promotion of the harmonization of international commercial law with initiates like the CISG Advisory Council, the Institute's database on the CISG and the Willem C Vis Moot.
Internationality and Uniformity
As an independent body of experts, the group is afforded the luxury of being critical of judicial or arbitral decision and of addressing issues not dealt with previously by adjudicating bodies. The Council is guided by the mandate of Article 7 of the Convention as far as its interpretation and application are concerned: the paramount regard to international character of the Convention and the need to promote uniformity.
In line with its objectives, the CISG Advisory Council is also committed to the multinational and multi-lingual character of the CISG. Accordingly the opinions of the Council is being made available in all six of the official languages of the CISG as well as a number of other prominent trade languages. In this the Council is well served by the international composition of its members.
Mode of Operation
In practical terms, the primary purpose of the CISG-AC is to issue opinions relating to the interpretation and application of the Convention on request or on its own initiative. Requests may be submitted to the CISG-AC, in particular, by international organizations, professional associations and adjudication bodies.
Observer Status at UNCITRAL and UNIDROIT
On 10 September 2012 the CISG-AC was granted observer status by UNCITRAL. This will enable the CISG-AC to attend future meetings of UNCITRAL and its working groups.
On 4 February 2015 the CISG-AC was granted observer status at the Governing Council of UNIDROIT
New Member
Justice Johnny Herre of Sweden has recently been elected to the CISG Advisory Council. Justice Herre has been a Justice of the Supreme Court of Sweden since 2010 and has considerable experience in the fields of arbitration and international commercial law.
* New Opinions, Declarations and Translations
- The CISG Advisory Council adopted the Black Letter Rules for Opinion No 18 “Set-off",
rapporteur Professor Christiana Fountoulakis, at its 24th Meeting in Antigua Guatemala,
during February 2018. The Opinion will be published after finalization of the Comments. - The CISG Advisory Council adopted the Black Letter Rules for Opinion No 19 "Conformity of Goods and Public Law Regulations", rapporteur Prof Djakhongir Saidov, at its 25th Meeting in Aalborg Denmark, during November 2018. This Opinion is now available.
- The CISG Advisory Council adopted the Black Letter Rules for Opinion No 20 "Applicability of the CISG to Dispute Settlement Clauses", rapporteur Prof Jan Kleinheisterkamp, at its 25th Meeting in Aalborg Denmark, during November 2018. The Opinion will be published after finalization of the Comments.
* New case law
El Salvador
Las Cascadas Multiservicios SA of CV v Operadora Del Sur, S.A. of C.V. Civil Chamber of teh Supreme Court of Justice Case no 183-CAC-2017 of 5 Mar 2018
Opinion no 6
Next CISG Advisory Council Meeting
The 26th CISG Advisory Council Meeting is scheduled to take place from 18 to 21 August 2019 in Asuncion, Paraguay. A CISG conference, hosted by the Centro de Estudios de Derecho, Economía y Política (CEDEP), will be held in conjunction with this meeting. For more information please contact José Antonio Moreno Rodríguez at jmoreno@altra.com.py.