International and Foreign Cyberspace Law Research Guide

The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) facilitates international commerce through the modernization of trade rules and the harmonization of commercial laws, primarily through the drafting of treaties, model laws, and explanatory texts. These documents are prepared by ad hoc committees of subject specialists known as working groups.
 

UNCITRAL Working Group on Electronic Commerce

Since its inception, UNCITRAL’s Working Group on Electronic Commerce has produced one treaty, three model laws, and two explanatory texts:

Treaty

• Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Commerce (2005)
  The full text of the convention and an explanatory note are available for download in PDF format. Click on the Status link to see which countries have ratified the convention.
   

Model Laws

• Model Law on Electronic Commerce (1996)
  The full text of the model law and a guide to its enactment are available for download in PDF format. Click on the Status link to see which countries have enacted legislation based on the model law.
   
• Model Law on Electronic Signatures (2001)
  The full text of the model law and a guide to its enactment are available for download in PDF format. Click on the Status link to see which countries have enacted legislation based on the model law.
   
• Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (2017)
  The full text of the model law and a guide to its enactment are available for download in PDF format. Click on the Status link to see which countries have enacted legislation based on the model law.
   

Explanatory Texts

• Notes on the Main Issues of Cloud Computing Contracts (2019)
• Promoting Confidence in Electronic Commerce: Legal Issues on International Use of Electronic Authentication and Signature Methods (2007)

To monitor the Working Group’s current and past activities, visit this page, which includes meeting agendas, reports, and document drafts.
 

UNCITRAL Working Group on Online Dispute Resolution

UNCITRAL’s Working Group on Online Dispute Resolution met from 2010 to 2016. Although it did not produce any treaties or model laws, the Working Group did publish its Technical Notes on Online Dispute Resolution. An archive of meeting agendas, reports, and other working papers is available on this page.