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
In Memoriam
On Sunday 28 January 2018 our dear colleague and friend, Professor Jan Ramberg of Sweden passed away. Jan was a founding member of the CISG Advisory Council and his practical and incisive, but good humoured contributions to Council discussions will be sorely missed.
Jan Ramberg was a Swedish lawyer and professor emeritus of Stockholm University specialising in commercial law, and acting as an arbitrator in national and international arbitrations. His name also became synonymous with the ICC INCOTERMS and their continued development.
* New Opinions, Declarations and Translations
- The CISG Advisory Council issued CISG Advisory Council Opinion No 17 "Limitation and Exclusion Clauses in CISG Contracts" on 30 June 2016
- The CISG Advisory Council Opinions are now also available in Turkish.
* New case law
World Wide Quality in Meat BV v [gedaagde] 21 January 2016 Rechtbank [District Court] Midden-Nederland
Opinion No 13
http://deeplink.rechtspraak.nl/uitspraak?id=ECLI:NL:RBMNE:2016:412
BVBA Food Ingredients Technologies v [X] 23 March 2016 Rechtbank [District Court] Overijssel
Opinion No 13
http://deeplink.rechtspraak.nl/uitspraak?id=ECLI:NL:RBOVE:2016:1140
Dibalex BVV v Delta Sjhelving Systems GmbH 29 June 2016 Rechtbank [District Court] Rotterdam
Opinion No 13
https://uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/inziendocument?id=ECLI:NL:RBROT:2016:4913