Rome, 4 July 2024 – The third edition of the International Programme for Law and Cooperation (IPLD) of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (Unidroit) ended with a solemn ceremony at the historic headquarters of Villa Aldobrandini in Rome. The event featured the participation of illustrious guests and representatives of the diplomatic missions of the countries involved.
This years edition involved 18 participants, including judges, public prosecutors and legislative drafters, coming from 15 African countries (Burundi, Kenya, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Egypt, South Africa, Algeria, Uganda, Mauritius, Morocco, Zimbabwe and Somalia), in a process of sharing knowledge and learning about international private and commercial law practices. The main objective was to promote cultural exchange to strengthen peaceful relations between states and communities. The program was financed by the General Directorate for Development Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (DGCS-MAECI), as part of the initiatives with Africa.
Professor Maria Chiara Malaguti, President of Unidroit, welcomed the participants and introduced the speakers, expressing Unidroit ‘s gratitude to the Ministry: “At the close of a 3rd successful edition, now is the time to express our gratitude to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for its continued and unwavering support to this Programme. To us it represents an acknowledgement of just how much value Unidroit instruments, and legal unification in general, can contribute to the processes of integration and development that are key to reaching the goals on the 2030 Agenda”.
The Hon. Edmondo Cirielli, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, reiterated the importance of the African continent for Italy: “The African continent is a key priority for Italy. The complexity of current global challenges requires greater effort to create new and better forms of cooperation between Italy, Europe and Africa. Africa is the youngest continent in the world. It is known to everyone that Italy launched the ‘Mattei Plan for Africa’ at the Summit Italy-Africa held in Rome in January. Our commitment, together with Unidroit, arises from our determination to actively contribute to the development of skills and leadership in the legal field in Africa.”
The Ambassador of South Africa and President of the UNIDROIT General Assembly, Nosipho Nausca-Jean Ngcaba, underlined the importance of expanding the network of member countries and awareness of the value of Unidroittools: “It is important to expand the network of member countries and the awareness that Unidroit tools can allow the African continent to truly develop its capabilities, thanks also to the young professionals whose IPLD allows not only to train but also to develop a network of contacts: these aspects are fundamental to build peace and development on our continent.”
Professor Ignacio Tirado. The Secretary General of Unidroit concluded the panel of interventions, underlining how the IPLD Program promotes international collaboration by improving mutual understanding: “Unidroit instruments can make a difference in Africa, which is why strengthening our ties with the legal community of the region remains a strategic target for Unidroit. Strong private law frameworks can be a game changer and facilitate steady, sustainable economic growth, unleashing the extraordinary potential of African countries. Like the previous two editions, we are proud to have created the opportunity for an enriching exchange with yet another group of excellent African jurists, who will join the ever-growing community of Unidroit ambassadors facilitated by this Programme”.
The event concluded with the delivery of certificates, marking an important stage in the professional career of the participants. Maria Teresa Iaquinta, Director of the IPLD-UNIDROIT Program, invited the participants who received the certificates from Professor Anna Veneziano, Deputy General Secretary of UNIDROIT and from the Minister Plenipotentiary Marco Giungi, Head of Unit for Global Processes and International Organizations of the DGCS- MAECI underlining the close collaboration between the MAECI and UNIDROIT in support of the unification of private law as a fundamental part of the SDGs.
For more information: ipld@unidroit.org
Professor Iacopo Donati is the UNIDROIT/Bank of Italy Chair Holder and is mainly responsible for assisting in the Bank Insolvency project. He is Professor of Corporate and Insolvency Law at the University of Siena, and coordinates the research project ‘Pro.Re.Ba.’ (Proportionating rules on bank crisis prevention and management to the case of retail banks), which has received funding from the Italian Ministry of University. He has previously taught corporate law at the University of Venice ‘Ca’ Foscari’, at the University of Florence and at the University of Rome ‘Tor Vergata’.
rtered Institute of Arbitrators (London). He further holds a post-graduate diploma in law from the Kenya School of Law. Allan is also a scholar from the Hague Academy of International Law.
rofessor Ignacio Tirado was appointed Secretary-General by the Governing Council at its 97th session, and officially took office on 27 August 2018. A national of Spain, Professor Tirado (Commercial, Corporate and Insolvency Law, Universidad Autónoma of Madrid, Spain) holds a PhD from the Universities of Bologna and Autónoma de Madrid and an LLM from the University of London. Professor Tirado has been a Senior Legal Consultant at the World Bank’s Legal Vice-Presidency and Financial Sector Practice for more than nine years, having also consulted for the IMF on insolvency related matters as well as for the Asian Development Bank on commercial legal reform.
A Swedish national, Ms Lena Peters grew up in Italy where she attended an English school. In 1978 she took her Juris Kandidatexamen at Stockholm University followed by a Master of Laws from King’s College, London (1979). Since 1985 she has been with UNIDROIT, first as Research Officer, lastly as Principal Legal Officer, her main duties being Secretary to the Working Group for the Preparation of Principles of International Commercial Contracts, Secretary to the Study Group on Franchising, Secretary to the Committee of Governmental Experts on Franchising.She also collaborated on the project for the preparation of the ELI-Unidroit Model European Rules of Civil Procedure. She is currently Managing Editor of the Uniform Law Review and responsible for publications at UNIDROIT.
Marina Schneider is Principal Legal Officer and Treaty Depositary at UNIDROIT. She studied law at the University of Strasbourg (France) and Paris I – Panthéon Sorbonne. She joined the UNIDROIT in 1987 and was involved in the elaboration and French versions of most UNIDROIT instruments since. She is in charge of the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects and of the UNESCO-UNIDROIT Model Provisions on State Ownership of Undiscovered Cultural Objects. She is the author of the Explanatory Report of the 1995 Convention and many articles on the Convention and other international instruments in the field. Ms Schneider is also responsible for the project on private collections and for the UNIDROIT Convention Academic Project (UCAP). She is member of the Board of the International Society for Research on Art and Cultural Heritage Law (ISCHAL).
Professor of Commercial Law, Carlos III University of Madrid. Currently, Sir Roy Goode Scholar at UNIDROIT, Rome, 2021-2022. Chair of Excellence 2017-2018 at University of Oxford (Uc3m- Santander Program), affiliated to Harris Manchester College. Previously Distinguished Visiting Professor and fellow of a number of Academic Institutions. Arbitrator of Madrid Court of Arbitration. Member of ELI (European Law Institute) Council and Executive Committee. Member of the Expert Group of the European Commission on Liability and New Technologies and member of the Expert Group of the European Observatory of Platform Economy; the International Academy of Commercial and Consumer Law; the expert group of the Inclusive Global Legal Innovation Platform for Online Dispute Resolution – UNCITRAL and Hong Kong Department of Justice. Expert of the UNIDROIT Study Group on the MAC Protocol of the Cape Town Convention on International Interests. Delegate of Spain to UNIDROIT for the adoption of the Protocol, delegate of Spain in Working Group VI of UNCITRAL on secured transactions and in Working Group IV on Electronic Commerce. Member of UNIDROIT Working Groups on Enforcement and Warehouse Receipts.
William Brydie-Watson is an Australian lawyer who specialises in secured transactions law and private international law. Before joining UNIDROIT, William was a government lawyer in the Private International Law and International Arbitration section of the Australian Attorney-General’s Department, where he worked primarily on treaty negotiation and the implementation of private international law treaties in Australia. At UNIDROIT, he is primarily responsible for the implementation of the Mining, Agriculture and Construction (MAC Protocol) to the 2001 Cape Town Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment and the development of a Model Law on Factoring. William also serves as UNIDROIT’s liaison with the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and as manager of the Institute’s Scholarship and Internship Programme. Admitted to practice in New South Wales and the High Court of Australia, he has a Bachelor of Arts (honours), a Bachelor of Laws and a Master of Laws from the Australian National University. William also lectures on International Secured Transactions Law at the Eotvos Lorand Faculty of Law in Budapest.