UNIS/L/122
6 August 2008

Belgium Accedes to Convention on the Limitation Period in the International Sale of Goods

Twenty-eighth country to become party to the Convention

VIENNA, 6 August (UN Information Service) - Belgium has deposited its instrument of accession to the Convention on the Limitation Period in the International Sale of Goods. The Convention will enter into force for Belgium on 1 March 2009.

Adopted by a diplomatic conference on 12 June 1974, the Convention establishes uniform rules governing the period of time within which legal proceedings arising from an international sales contract must be commenced. The Convention was amended by a Protocol adopted in 1980 to harmonize it with the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG). 

Belgium becomes the 28th State party to the un-amended Convention, and the 20th State party to the Convention as amended by the Protocol of 11 April 1980.

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The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) is the core legal body of the United Nations system in the field of international trade law. Its mandate is to remove legal obstacles to international trade by progressively modernizing and harmonizing trade law. It prepares legal texts in a number of key areas such as international commercial dispute settlement, electronic commerce, insolvency, international payments, sale of goods, transport law, procurement and infrastructure development. UNCITRAL also provides technical assistance to law reform activities, including assisting Member States to review and assess their law reform needs and to draft the legislation required to implement UNCITRAL texts. The UNCITRAL Secretariat is located in Vienna and maintains a website at www.uncitral.org

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For further information, please contact:

Jenny Clift
Senior Legal Officer
UNCITRAL Secretariat
Email: jenny.clift@uncitral.org