Nomination for election to the Governing Council of UNIDROIT
News
12 May 2023Expressions of interest are invited from suitably qualified candidates to be considered for nomination by the Government as Ireland’s candidate for election to the Governing Council of UNIDROIT for the period 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2028.
The International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) is an independent intergovernmental organisation. Its purpose is to study needs and methods for modernising, harmonising and co-ordinating private (and in particular commercial) law as between States and groups of States and to formulate uniform law instruments, principles and rules to achieve those objectives.
UNIDROIT Governing Council
The functions of the Governing Council are set out in a number of provisions of the UNIDROIT Statute. The Governing Council supervises all policy aspects of the means by which the Institute’s statutory objectives are to be attained and in particular the way in which the Secretariat carries out the Work Programme.
Article 6 of the Statute provides that the Governing Council shall consist of the President (appointed by the Italian Government) and twenty-five members. The members are appointed by the General Assembly by way of election. In addition, the Assembly may also appoint one other member chosen from among the judges in office of the International Court of Justice. The President and members of the Governing Council hold office for renewable terms of five years.
Pursuant to Article 6, paragraph 3 of the Statute, the General Assembly of the Institute will be called upon to appoint the members of the Governing Council for the period from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2028 at its 82nd session in December 2023.
The Candidate
The functions of the Governing Council are set out in a number of provisions of the Statute. In the past members of the Governing Council have generally been suitably qualified judges, legal practitioners, academics or government officials.
Candidates should be familiar with the work of UNIDROIT and able to demonstrate knowledge and experience of private and commercial law. This should include one or more of the following areas, as relevant to the work of UNIDROIT and set out in the legislative activities of the UNIDROIT work programme for 2023-2025:
- Secured transactions
- International commercial contracts
- Private law and agricultural development
- Law and technology
- Capital markets and financial law
- Transnational civil procedure
- Cultural property
- Sustainable development
- Private law and intellectual property
Knowledge of French and/or Italian will be an advantage.
The Governing Council meets generally once a year for several days at UNIDROIT headquarters in Rome. Membership of the Governing Council in unremunerated but the expenses incurred by members in attending meetings of the Council are reimbursed in accordance with UNIDROIT regulations.
The Process
Applicants should submit an expression of interest accompanied by a CV which demonstrated their suitability for membership of the Governing Council having regard to the skills and experience necessary to effectively undertake the role.
The expression of interest should set out the applicant’s educational and professional qualifications and experience relevant to the position, and include a statement setting out the reasons for the person's suitability to be nominated.
Expressions of interest will be assessed by a panel chaired by the Attorney General and will include a senior member of the judiciary, a senior official of the Department of Foreign Affairs and a private practitioner with appropriate senior level experience. The panel will recommend a candidate for nomination to the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Expressions of interest, with the subject ‘UNIDROIT Governing Council’, should be sent to unidroitgce@dfa.ie with a deadline of 3pm Friday 26 May 2023.
The successful candidate will be nominated by the Government for appointment by election at the UNIDROIT General Assembly at its 82nd session in December 2023. The election is by secret ballot.
ENDS
