For information only - not an official document

UNIS/L/160
24 February 2012

San Marino Accedes to United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG)

78th Country to Become Party to the Convention

VIENNA, 24 February (UN Information Service) - With its accession to the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods ("CISG"), San Marino becomes the 78th State Party to the Convention. The Convention will enter into force for San Marino on 1 March 2013.

The adoption of the CISG by San Marino has taken place in the context of a joint initiative between the Government of San Marino and the UNCITRAL Secretariat aimed at modernizing the law of international sale of goods and of electronic transactions in that country.

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.

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