UNIS/L/103
25 July 2006

Albania Accedes to the United Nations Convention on the Carriage of Goods by Sea (the "Hamburg Rules")

32nd Country to Become Party to the Convention

VIENNA, 25 July 2006 (UN Information Service) - With its accession to the United Nations Convention on the Carriage of Goods by Sea, 1978, commonly known also as the "Hamburg Rules", effected on 20 July 2006, Albania becomes the 32nd State Party to the Convention. The Convention will enter into force for Albania on 1 August 2007.

The Convention establishes a uniform legal regime governing the rights and obligations of shippers, carriers and consignees under a contract of carriage of goods by sea. It was prepared at the request of developing countries, and its adoption by States has been endorsed by such intergovernmental organizations as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Asian-African Legal Consultative Committee and the Organization of American States. A draft of the Convention was prepared by UNCITRAL and finalized and adopted by a diplomatic conference on 31 March 1978.

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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. UNCITRAL maintains a website at www.uncitral.org  

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For information contact:

Jenny Clift, Senior Legal Officer
UNCITRAL Secretariat
E-mail: jenny.clift@uncitral.org