We are honoured to report that CISG-online has been selected by the UNCITRAL Secretariat as the first institutional CLOUT partner for the CISG.
The partnership will run until 2027 and may be extended upon agreement between CISG-online and UNCITRAL.
CLOUT partnerships are a novel concept within UNCITRAL's Case Law on UNCITRAL Texts (CLOUT) system; it was developed by the UNCITRAL Secretariat in recent years and formally adopted by UNCITRAL (the Commission) in 2019.
Further details about the purpose and role of institutional CLOUT partners can be found in relevant documents published by UNCITRAL:
"Promotion of awareness, understanding and use of UNCITRAL texts: Note by the Secretariat" of 4 June 2019, A/CN.9/976
"3. Expanding partnerships
39. As noted above, it is desirable to give new impulse to the compilation of case law and preparation of abstracts as well as to the dissemination of related information. Besides further mobilizing national correspondents, including through the steering committee, it may therefore be desirable to expand the network of contributors by involving new partners. Individual contributors will continue to be welcome. However, institutional partners may better ensure that adequate capacity is available in a sustainable manner.
40. Entities such as universities and research institutes, judiciary bodies and other organizations with special interest in one or more areas of work of UNCITRAL may become CLOUT partners. Certain possible partners have already been identified. Networks will be established for each area of work to facilitate interaction and cooperation among partners.
41. Partners will be selected through a transparent process and on the basis of predetermined requirements, including the ability to access sources of case law, and taking into account different needs of the various areas of work of UNCITRAL. Partnerships will be managed in accordance with applicable rules and regulations of the United Nations.
42. Partners are generally in charge of monitoring and reporting on case law and of undertaking promotional activities related to promoting broader awareness and use of UNCITRAL texts as well as their uniform application and interpretation.
43. Partners’ activities include: organizing conferences, workshops and similar events on UNCITRAL texts; making materials such as explanatory reports and travaux préparatoires available, especially in local languages; contributing to the Bibliography of writings related to the work of UNCITRAL; reporting on legislation and administrative decisions relevant for the application and interpretation of UNCITRAL texts; creating and maintaining databases complementary to CLOUT; publishing books and articles in journals; maintaining a presence on the web and on social media.
44. Partners should be invited to attend national correspondents’ meetings and interact with them on developing CLOUT. A segment of those meetings will be open to the public to further disseminate awareness on UNCITRAL texts and CLOUT. To do so effectively, it is suggested that those meetings could take place in Vienna on the occasion of the Willem Vis Moot Court Competition.
45., 46. [...]
47. The Commission may wish to confirm that the suggested approach to establishing CLOUT partnerships is acceptable."
Report of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, Fifty-second session (8–19 July 2019), General Assembly, Official Records, Seventy-fourth Session, Supplement No. 17, A/74/17:
"245. With regard to the proposal to establish CLOUT partnerships, it was indicated that entities such as universities and research institutes, judicial bodies and other organizations with a special interest in one or more areas of the work of UNCITRAL should be eligible to become CLOUT partners and that the establishment of a partnership would take into account the ability of the entity to contribute to CLOUT, as well as the different needs of each work area.
246. It was suggested that CLOUT partners would monitor and report on case law and undertake promotional activities such as organizing conferences, workshops and similar events on UNCITRAL texts; making materials such as explanatory reports and travaux préparatoires available, especially in local languages; contributing to the bibliography of writings related to the work of UNCITRAL; reporting on legislation and administrative decisions relevant to the application and interpretation of UNCITRAL texts; creating and maintaining databases complementary to CLOUT; publishing books and articles in journals; and maintaining a presence on the Internet and on social media.
247. After discussion, the Commission requested the Secretariat to establish CLOUT partnerships to pursue the activities indicated above (para. 246), within available resources, in line with relevant rules and regulations and taking into account the ability of the entity to contribute to CLOUT, as well as the different needs of each work area."
