News from the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL): the work of the 55th Commission session

Abstract

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. It has been carrying out its mandate to further the progressive harmonization and unification of international trade law since 1966.1 This article provides an overview of the 55th session of UNCITRAL and the activities of its working groups and Secretariat from mid-2021 to mid-2022. The annual UNCITRAL session (27 June to 15 July 2022, New York) was held fully in person for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Delegates and observers were also able to listen to the Commission session remotely via the UN webcast system but were not able to intervene using that format. Though the Commission session operated under normal conditions, the activities of the UNCITRAL working groups and the Secretariat during the year were still affected by the pandemic, with the meeting time with interpretation in all six UN languages reduced for hybrid meetings that were held both in-person and via Zoom.