Art. 81 CISG

(1) Avoidance of the contract releases both parties from their obligations under it, subject to any damages which may be due. Avoidance does not affect any provision of the contract for the settlement of disputes or any other provision of the contract governing the rights and obligations of the parties consequent upon the avoidance of the contract.

(2) A party who has performed the contract either wholly or in part may claim restitution from the other party of whatever the first party has supplied or paid under the contract. If both parties are bound to make restitution, they must do so concurrently.

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Secretariat Commentary

The Secretariat Commentary on Art. 66 of the 1978 New York Draft, predecessor to Art. 81 CISG, gives insight into the drafters' unterstanding on the eve of the 1980 Vienna Diplomatic Conference.

Commentary on the Draft Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, prepared by the Secretariat (UN Doc. A/CONF.97/5), in: United Nations Conference on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, Vienna, 10 March – 11 April 1980, Official Records: Documents of the Conference and Summary Records of the Plenary Meetings and of the Meetings of the Main Committees, New York: United Nations (1991), pp. 14 et seq., at pp. 56—57

CISG-AC Opinion regarding Art. 81 CISG

CISG-AC Opinion No. 9 ‘Consequences of Avoidance of the Contract’ (Rapporteur: Michael Bridge), adopted by the CISG Advisory Council following its 12th meeting in Tokyo (Japan) on 15 November 2008

Overview of case law on Art. 81 CISG: UNCITRAL Digest

The UNCITRAL Digest on the CISG can be used as a starting point to discover the relevant case law on this article.

2016 UNCITRAL Digest of case law on Art. 81 CISG