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United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Asia Pacific Day Webinar 2020

At 7 pm Hong Kong time on December 10, the 2020 Asia Pacific Day of the UNCITRAL Asia Pacific Day was successfully held.  Around 130 participants had jointed us in the Webinar and share our discussion on the practice of future commercial dispute resolution after the application of the CISG has been extended to Hong Kong, the benefits of its application to Hong Kong, and how practitioners can prepare for this.

(Opening Session – Speaker of Honour)

Ms Athita Komindr,

Head of UNCITRAL Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific

Ms Komindr expressed enthusiasm and welcome to the jointly organize the 2020 UNCITRAL Asia Pacific Day Webinar with other distinguished faculty and institutions. She is particularly grateful for its successful launch in the sensitive time bought by the COVID-19. “…..25 institutions of higher learning across 10 Asia Pacific jurisdiction have joined, enable UNCITRAL RCAP to engage a collective audience over 5000 to discuss how legal harmonization bridges disparities and national legal systems and facilitates cross-border commerce at the time when the smooth continuation and expansion of international trade are more important than ever.”

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(Opening Session – Speaker of Honour)

Ms Jenny Hui,

Legal Expert, UNCITRAL Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific 

Jenny congratulates on the launch of the 2020 UNCITRAL Asia Pacific Day Webinar and appreciates the participation of the audiences in the event. Jenny highlighted the efficiency and benefit of the CISG and the unification of sales and goods laws. The promotion and explanation of the CISG, the related laws and the processes to the public is an important task. Not only it would benefit its commercial use but also to the future generation in legal and business aspects.

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(Moderator)

Dr Francis Law,

Chairman of International Dispute Resolution and Risk Management Institute

As the moderator of the webinar, Dr Francis Law suggested the CISG is in particular significant to Hong Kong as at least half of the contracting parties of the CISG are close trading partners of the HKSAR. While the possibility for the expansion of the CISG to Hong Kong is still being developed, the potential changes in legal and dispute resolution practices, and in businesses influenced by the CISG would be an important area for discussion.

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(Speaker)

Professor Zhao Yun,
Head of Department of Law, Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong

Professor Zhao has shared with the audience on the international regulation of commercial contracts and the complementary role of UNCITRAL, UNIDROIT and HCCH in relation to the CISG aspect. His spot-lighted the UNCITRAL’s CISG in comparing to its peer instruments. Prof Zhao emphasised although the formation, nature and service target vary among the three instruments, they share a mutual purpose, to increase cross-border business harmonisation and practice unification; that facilitates the international commercial transaction.

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(Speaker)

Dr Rajesh Sharma,
Senior Legal and Dispute Studies, Criminology and Justice, RMIT University 

Dr Sharma llustrated the importance of CISG and shall make it more available to the public and the use in businesses in Hong Kong. One of the key elements for the successful adoption of CISG relies on education. Dr Sharma suggested three types of target audiences should be prioritized:  the legal professions, law students, and non-law and business-related parties. While pinpointing the characteristics of the respective groups, he also highlighted the difference of strategies shall be used for effective education of the CISG.

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The International Dispute Resolution and Risk Management Institute (IDRRMI) is honored to be the host to jointly organise the "The Future Practice of Commercial Dispute Resolution after Extending the Application of CISG to Hong Kong" with the UNCITRAL Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific (RCAP), the School of Law of the University of Hong Kong (HKU), and the Hong Kong Mediation Centre (HKMC). We look forward for more inspiring collaborations with our co-oragnising partners.