The United Nations commission on international trade law is UNCITRAL, short for the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law.
The United Nations General Assembly established UNCITRAL in 1966 as a subsidiary body to promote the harmonization and unification of international trade law. Its purpose is to reduce legal uncertainty when commercial transactions cross national borders and encounter different legal systems.
UNCITRAL develops conventions, model laws, legislative guides, and other legal texts. Its work covers areas such as international arbitration, insolvency, electronic commerce, procurement, sale of goods, and dispute settlement. The commission’s annual sessions alternate between New York and Vienna, where its secretariat is based.
A frequent confusion is with UNCTAD, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. UNCTAD focuses broadly on trade, development, investment, and economic policy, whereas UNCITRAL specializes in commercial-law rules. The World Bank and IMF are separate international financial institutions, not UN trade-law commissions.