For information only - not an official document

UNIS/L/157
1 August 2011

Benin Accedes to United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) and Convention on the Limitation Period in the International Sale of Goods

77th Country to Become Party to the CISG, 29th State Party to the Limitation Convention

VIENNA, 1 August (UN Information Service) - With its accession to the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods ("CISG"), Benin became the 77th State Party to the Convention. The CISG will enter into force for Benin on 1 August 2012.

The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods provides an equitable and modern uniform framework for the contract of sale, which is the backbone of international trade in all countries, irrespective of their legal tradition or level of economic development. The CISG is therefore considered to be one of the core conventions in international trade law.

The CISG, which has been adopted by a large number of major trading countries, establishes a comprehensive code of legal rules governing the formation of contracts for the international sale of goods, the obligations of the buyer and seller, remedies for breach of contract and other aspects of the contract.

Moreover, Benin has also deposited its instrument of accession to the Convention on the Limitation Period in the International Sale of Goods, 1974 (the "Limitation Convention"), becoming the 29th State party to that convention. The Limitation Convention will enter into force for Benin on 1 February 2012.

Adopted by a diplomatic conference on 12 June 1974, the Limitation Convention establishes uniform rules governing the period of time within which legal proceedings arising from an international sales contract must be commenced, thus functionally complementing the CISG.

Further information on the CISG and on the Limitation Convention is available on the UNCITRAL website at www.uncitral.org.

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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, Austria.

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For information contact:

Timothy Lemay
Principal Legal Officer
UNCITRAL Secretariat
Email: timothy.lemay[at]uncitral.org