The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) held its 59th session in New York from 29 June to 10 July 2026, under the chairmanship of H.E. Dr Michael Imran Kanu, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone to the United Nations, and concluded its session on 10 July 2026. As the Commission neared its 60th anniversary, delegates agreed on steps to modernise international trade law and dispute resolution.
Reform of the Investor-State dispute settlement (ISDS) was a major achievement. Draft Statute of the Advisory Centre on International Investment Dispute Resolution The Commission completed this draft Statute, to be submitted to the United Nations General Assembly for adoption. The Commission also approved the UNCITRAL Supplementary Provisions on the Conduct of Proceedings to Resolve International Investment Disputes. These instruments make investor-State dispute resolution accessible to, and designed to meet the needs of, States with significant advantages for developing countries.
Delegates also examined the challenges of arbitration in an increasingly digital world. UNCITRAL adopted a Recommendation on the interpretation of the New York Convention in relation to electronic arbitral awards, amended the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration and added a new note to the UNCITRAL Notes on Organising Arbitral Proceedings. The measures are intended to clarify and strengthen the enforceability and administration of arbitration in electronic communications and digital processes.
The Commission has set itself a proactive and forward-looking work programme. Future work will include dispute resolution in the digital economy, consolidation of UNCITRAL’s e-commerce texts, paperless trade facilitation, digital payments, regulation of digital platforms, secured transactions with digital resources, insolvency law, public procurement and automated contracting, among other topics.
The Commission paid a solemn tribute to the late H.E. Ms Julia Emma Villatoro Tario, of El Salvador, who presided over the fifty-eighth session. Important event for the continent of Africa Signing of the United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents 26 October 2026 Accra, Ghana. Moreover, from July 2026 to July 2027, UNCITRAL will be celebrating its 60th anniversary through events around the world, culminating in a celebration in Vienna on 17 December 2026.
The effective chairmanship of the 59th session by Sierra Leone was cited as proof of the country’s commitment to multilateralism and progressive harmonisation and modernisation of international trade laws.
