On 30 November 2017, UNIDROIT received Mrs Pham Ho Huong (Deputy DG, Department of International Legislation), and Mrs Tran Thu Huong (Deputy DG, Department of International Cooperation) of the Ministry of Justice of Vietnam, to discuss issues pertaining to the perspective of Vietnam’s accession to UNIDROIT.

On 22 November, a Conference entitled “A Human Centred Business Model: global approach for a New Way of doing Business” was held in Paris, organised by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the Conseil supérieur du Notariat, as well as their partners of the Global Forum on Law, Justice and Development. UNIDROIT was represented by Ms Frédérique Mestre (Senior Legal Officer), who presented on the panel entitled “Governance of HCBM enterprises”, and by its President, Professor Alberto Mazzoni, who provided closing remarks.

-> Programme

From left to right: Nicola Bonucci (Legal Director, OCDE), Alberto Mazzoni (President, UNIDROIT)		From left to right: Marie-Florence Zampiero Bouquemont (Notary, Conseil supérieur du notariat), Laurence Coste (Democratic Governance , Head of Unit, Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Andrea Zorzi (Professor, University of Florence), Frédérique Mestre (Senior Legal Officer, UNIDROIT)

On 22 November 2017, the Faculty of Law of Eötvös Lóránd University organised a Conference on the Cape Town Convention and its Protocols in Budapest, with the support of the Ministry of Justice of Hungary and participation of UNIDROIT. The conference, on “Recent developments in the law of security interests: the Cape Town Convention, its Protocols and national laws”, was opened by Dr Somssich Réka (Vice Dean of the Department of Private International Law and European Economic Law) and Professor Miklós Király (Dean of the Faculty of Law), and featured 3 panels: one on the Cape Town Convention and the Luxembourg Rail Protocol (Professor Anna Veneziano, Secretary-General a.i.; Elizabeth Hirst, Registrar Designate of the Luxembourg Registry; and Professor Attila Harmathy ELTE University, Faculty of Law ), one on the MAC Protocol (Chaired by Prof. Miklós Király, ELTE University, Faculty of Law, with contributions of William Brydie-Watson, Legal Officer, UNIDROIT and Prof. Dr. Benjamin von Bodungen, German Graduate School of Management and Law), and a third chaired by Dr. István Erdős, ELTE University, Faculty of Law on Recent Developments in National Law with contributions of Dr. Zoltán Nemessányi, Deputy-State Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Hungary and Dr. József Vági, Partner, Kajtár Takács Hegymegi-Barakonyi Baker & McKenzie.

-> Agenda

From left to right: István Erdős, Benjamin von Bodungen, William Brydie-Watson,
Anna Veneziano, Miklós Király, Elizabeth Hirst, Attila Haramathy, József Vági.

On 16-17 November, the ELI-UNIDROIT Project Members, Advisers and Observers convened in the Palais Trautson of the Austrian Ministry of Justice to discuss draft rules on European civil procedure developed by the newest working groups of the Project. During the two-day event, Members of the Project heard presentations and debated on such topics as pendency, parties, costs, and judgments in civil procedure. The overarching working group 'Structure' also presented an updated version of the consolidated draft of European principles of civil procedure, encompassing the work of the first three Working Groups of the Project (access to information and evidence, provisional and protective measures, and service of documents). Diana Wallis (Past ELI President) and Anna Veneziano (Secretary-General a.i. UNIDROIT) opened the meeting, in which Co-reporters gave updates and allowed others to discuss the progress and direction of their Working Group.

Following her participation in the International Workshop entitled “Improving Small Scale Farmers’ Welfare” organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Agriculture of Indonesia in Jakarta on 6 November, Ms Frederique Mestre, Senior Legal Officer visited the Faculty of Law, Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, where she delivered a lecture on UNIDROIT to the Students of the International Law Course, on 10 November.

On 8-9 November 2017, Secretary-General a.i. Professor Anna Veneziano took part in an Asia-Pacific Regional Event on the Cape Town Convention and its Aircraft Protocol and cross-border transferability of Aircraft. The event was jointly organised by the Aviation Working Group  (AWG) and Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS),  with the support of  the  International  Civil  Aviation  Organization (ICAO) and UNIDROIT, and hosted by the Singapore Aviation Academy (SAA). The  Seminar  addressed  the  economic  benefits  of  the  CTC,  including  links  with  the interpretation  and  implementation  of,  and  compliance  with,  the  CTC  provisions,  as  well  as regional and global CTC developments. There was a special focus on actions by civil aviation authorities, as well as a special session dedicated to ICAO’s new activities on the cross-border transfer of aircraft. The event was attended by 99 international participants from 23 countries, and boasted a strong line-up of expert speakers, from both the government and industry, to speak on the Convention and Aircraft Protocol.

-> Click here for the programme.

-> Click here for more information on the Aircraft Protocol.

Professor Anna Veneziano (Secretary-General a.i., UNIDROIT) delivering her opening remarks		From left to right: Ms Tan Siew Huay (Director (Legal), CAAS), Professor Jeffrey Wool (Secretary-General, AWG), Professor Anna Veneziano (Secretary-General a.i., UNIDROIT)

On 6 – 7 of November, the Secretary-General a.i. Professor Anna Veneziano and Senior Legal Officer Ms Frédérique Mestre were invited to Jakarta for Ministerial meetings and to speak at an International Workshop entitled “Improving Small Scale Farmers’ Welfare” organised the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Agriculture of Indonesia.

On 2-3 November 2017, the 9th  Transnational Commercial Law Teachers’ Meeting took place at Radboud University in Nijmegen. The Meeting, among the many topics of particular relevance to UNIDROIT’s Work Programme, featured panels on the Cape Town Convention and its Protocols as well as on indirectly held securities. Professor Anna Veneziano participated as a moderator on a panel concerning UNIDROIT’s work on Contract Farming and Land Investment Contracts, which involved presentations by Professor Henry Gabriel (Elon School of Law and UNIDROIT Governing Council Member), and Professor Bruno Zeller (University of Western Australia).

-> Click here for the programme of the conference and for more information.