Side events at the 54th Commission Session
During the 54th Session of the Commission, a series of side events were held to raise awareness of the use of UNCITRAL texts, and to allow for stakeholders to share their experience on UNCITRAL-related issues. The Commission session concluded with two panels on technical assistance, focussing on MSMEs recovery from the economic shock of COVID-19 and celebrating UNCITRAL Days in Asia Pacific and Latin America. A schedule of the side events and the technical assistance panels, the speakers, and recordings of the sessions, where relevant, are listed below.
- Calendar view of the 54th Commission session with side events included (unofficial document, available in English only)
Complete list of side events at the 54th Commission session (unofficial document, available in English only)
Africa Forum
Wednesday, 30 June 2021
Permanent Representatives from African States shared their thoughts on areas of commercial law with particular resonance in the region, such as digitization of the economy and the establishment of an harmonized legal framework for a fair and efficient settlement of international investment disputes, and the critical importance of transparency, accountability and good governance in the commercial law framework.
Round-table on Investor-State Mediation, jointly organised with ICSID
Wednesday, 7 July 2021
The discussion focused on the legal framework available to disputing parties in ISDS to solve their dispute amicably, including treaty practice.
Net Zero Legislative Legislative Project: Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Issues in International Commercial Law Dispute Resolution
Friday, 9 July 2021
Discussion Topics:
- The role of private international law in climate change mitigation – reaching net zero by 2050?
- The role for international dispute resolution as a guardrail?
- UNCITRAL’s possible role
Panellists:
- Wendy Miles QC – Barrister, Twenty Essex, UK
- Annette Magnussen – Climate Change Counsel, Sweden
Moderator:
- Caroline Nicholas, Head, Technical Assistance Section, Senior Legal Officer, UNCITRAL Secretariat
Launch of the online course "Introduction to the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law"
Monday, 12 July 2021
Welcoming Remarks
Presentation of the online course
A conversation on the importance of training in the international law context:
Topics
- UNCITRAL's current and future training projects
- The benefits of online learning
- The role and benefits of e-learning in the Asia Pacific
Participants
- Caroline Nicholas, Head, Technical Assistance Section, Senior Legal Officer, UNCITRAL Secretariat
- Athita Komindr, Head, UNCITRAL Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific
- Alessia Messuti, Learning Innovation Programme Officer, International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization
- Monica Canafoglia (moderator). Legal Officer, UNCITRAL Secretariat
Virtual panel discussions on technical assistance activities
Friday, 16 July 2021
Panel 1: Focus on MSMEs recovery
Policy makers, experts and users of UNCITRAL texts from Africa, Asia and Latin American and the Caribbean raised their voices on the critical role of MSMEs in recovering from the COVID-19 economic shock, and the vital contribution of a high-quality enabling commercial law framework.
This panel concluded with statements on the use of UNCITRAL’s tools for supporting economic recovery in countries at all levels of economic development, particularly on areas such as insolvency and access to finance.
Video: العربية 中文 English Français Русский Español
Presentations
Panel 2: Celebration of UNCITRAL DAYS
This 30-minute panel highlighted the UNCITRAL Days flagship activity, an academic series that the UNCITRAL secretariat co-hosts with institutions of higher learning and public agencies during the last trimester of every year to commemorate the December 1966 General Assembly Resolution establishing UNCITRAL. It started by introducing the background of the UNCITRAL Day, initially launched in the Asia Pacific (AP) region by the UNCITRAL Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific, its expansion to Latino America and the Caribbean (LAC), and its most recent accomplishments.
These opening remarks set the stage for distinguished guest speakers to discuss the successes of previous UNCITRAL Days editions in AP and LAC regions and the potential for other regions to follow in the near future.
Video: العربية 中文 English Français Русский Español