The UNIDROIT Scholarship, Internship and Research Programme is comprised of several different initiatives that facilitate opportunities for legal professionals at various stages of their careers to visit UNIDROIT to work or conduct research.
The UNIDROIT Scholarship, Internship and Research Programme has five current initiatives:
1. Scholarship and Research
2. Internships
3. The Sir Roy Goode Scholarship
4. Secondments
5. Cooperation with Academic Institutions
SCHOLARSHIPS
Each year UNIDROIT grants scholarships to a limited number of high-performing post-graduate law students, lawyers, academics and government officials to undertake research in the UNIDROIT library. Over the last 25 years, the Research Scholarship Programme has hosted nearly 400 researchers from 65 countries.
The Programme is funded by extra-budgetary contributions. The number of scholarships awarded each year depends on the available funding.
Academics, law students, Government officials and members of the legal profession from all over the world may also apply to undertake research at the UNIDROIT Library as visiting scholars or researchers. Unlike the scholarship programme, visiting scholars and researchers must self-fund their research, however applicants may use their approval from UNIDROIT as visiting scholars or researchers to support their requests to potential sponsors to finance their stay in Rome.
Scholarship candidates must apply during the annual application window (usually between July – September each year). Researchers may apply at any time.
For further information please contact the UNIDROIT Scholarship, Internship and Research Programme Coordinator, Ms Laura Tikanvaara: l.tikanvaara@unidroit.org
INTERNSHIPS
Each year UNIDROIT welcomes a select number of interns to participate in the work of the Secretariat. Internship activities relate to subjects on the Institute’s current Work Programme, and/or to UNIDROIT instruments that have already been adopted, in particular as regards their implementation and promotion. During their internship, interns will work on a variety of matters, including conducting research on specific aspects of the assigned subject and prepare concept notes, draft documents, reports of meetings and translations
Preference is given to candidates engaged in postgraduate legal studies (5 years or more). Candidates must have an excellent knowledge of both spoken and written English. Knowledge of French and/or any other language is also considered an asset. Candidates in their undergraduate legal studies are welcome to apply for an internship in the library, assisting the Head Librarian with documentation and catalogue-related tasks.
Generally, UNIDROIT internships are not remunerated. However, there are a limited number of funded positions available each year, with preference given to applicants from developing countries. The length of an internship is three consecutive months, which may be extended to a maximum of six months. Internships may be granted for shorter periods on a case by case basis. Interns are required to provide for adequate medical insurance coverage during their stay in Rome.
Candidates may apply for internships in relation to any of UNIDROIT’s work areas, existing instruments or current projects. During their internship, interns will be supervised by a UNIDROIT Officer with responsibility for the relevant work area, instrument or project. Interns are also able to undertake independent research projects in parallel with their internships while in the UNIDROIT library.
Internship candidates should apply during the annual application window (usually between July – September each year). Candidates can also apply for internships outside the annual application window, although candidates that apply outside the application window will not be eligible to receive a stipend. Candidates are encouraged to follow the Institute’s social media pages (Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter) to stay informed on when the next application window will open.
To apply for an internship, candidates must submit the following documents in English or French:
(i) a short cover letter that addresses (a) why the candidate wants to undertake an internship at UNIDROIT, (b) specifies the project(s) or instruments they wish to work on, and (c) notes the period(s) in the calendar year during which they would be available to undertake their internship.
(ii) their Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Candidates are welcome to submit an academic reference letter and/or a statement from a sponsoring institution (university, research centre or governmental entity) to support their application. Candidates will be assessed on (i) their cover letter, (ii) CV and (iii) their English/French proficiency, taking into account the needs of the Institute.
Interns are required to provide for their own travel, accommodation, living and personal insurance costs while undertaking their internships in Rome. Unfortunately, Rome can be an expensive city and the stipend that UNIDROIT provides to a limited number of interns is not sufficient to cover living costs. In addition to flight costs, costs for accommodation, food, transport and entertainment can be between 1000€ – 2000€ per month.
UNIDROIT encourages applicants to seek other sources of funding to cover the costs of undertaking their internships, including through their universities or third party institutions (such as Erasmus). As the UNIDROIT stipend is not sufficient to cover all travel and living costs, interns who receive UNIDROIT stipends are also permitted to seek funding from other sources.
To avoid unnecessary administrative costs for UNIDROIT and disappointment for applicants, candidates are requested not to apply unless they have access to sufficient funding to undertake an internship in Rome, by way of scholarships and/or personal savings.
For further information, please contact the UNIDROIT Scholarship, Internship and Research Programme Coordinator, Ms Laura Tikanvaara at l.tikanvaara@UNIDROIT.org.
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Please note that this Senior Internship position is supported by the China Scholarship Council and is therefore only open to applicants with Chinese nationality.
General Description:
Established in 1926 as part of the League of Nations, the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) is an independent intergovernmental organisation based in the Villa Aldobrandini in Rome. UNIDROIT’s mission is to modernise, harmonise, and coordinate private and commercial law among States and groups of States by developing uniform law instruments, principles, and rules. The Institute is supported by 63 member States from diverse legal, economic, and cultural backgrounds, with funding from annual contributions and projects.
Established in 2024, the UNIDROIT Asian Transnational Law Centre (ATLC) is a part of UNIDROIT. The ATLC’s objectives are to (i) establish a legal hub for Asian transnational law at the UNIDROIT Headquarters in Rome; (ii) promote the work of UNIDROIT, UNIDROIT instruments and UNIDROIT projects in Asia; and (iii) strengthen connections between UNIDROIT and relevant academic institutes, legal institutes, regional institutes, law firms and private sector stakeholders in Asia.
Vacancy Description:
UNIDROIT is seeking one motivated Senior Intern to work on the delivery of a range of activities organised by the ATLC. The Senior Intern will work closely with the two Co-Directors of the ATLC and other UNIDROIT staff in delivering their responsibilities.
Key Responsibilities:
Library, publications and translations: Procurement and organisation of resources for the ATLC section of the UNIDROIT Library, preparation and publication of materials that promote the work of UNIDROIT in Asia, facilitation of translations of UNIDROIT instruments into Asian languages.
Secondments, scholarships, internships and research opportunities: Organisation of scholarship and internship opportunities for Asian scholars and law students at the UNIDROIT.
Events, consultations and meetings: Organisation of ATLC events on UNIDROIT instruments and projects in Asia, organisation of ATLC forum events at the UNIDROIT Headquarters in Rome organisation of periodic webinar events as part of the “ATLC Seminar Series”.
Other activities: Organisation of the inaugural UPICC International Arbitration Moot in 2025, any other activities as directed by the UNIDROIT Secretary-General, ATLC Co-Directors, or internship supervisors.
Qualifications:
Master’s degree or higher in management, administration, social sciences, languages or law. Preference will be given to candidates with backgrounds in English translation, foreign languages, and international studies. The scholarship application requirements can be found on the China Scholarship official website：https://www.csc.edu.cn/article/2769.
Professional Experience:
Experience in organising large-scale international conferences, with comprehensive knowledge of all stages from planning to execution.
Proven ability to coordinate resources, manage schedules, and maintain effective communication with all involved parties. Experience with international organisations is highly preferred.
Experience in the drafting, proofreading, editing and formatting of reports, letters, agendas, memos and other documents.
Skills and Competencies:
Language Proficiency: Minimum IELTS score of 7.0 or TOEFL score of 94. Strong English communication skills, both written and spoken (English is the primary working language).
Multitasking and Deadline Management: Skilled in handling multiple tasks effectively, meeting deadlines under time constraints.
Organisational Abilities: Highly detail-oriented, capable of efficiently managing complex tasks to ensure that conferences and events run smoothly and to schedule.
Internship Duration:
1 March 2025 to 28 February 2026 (12 months), with the potential for renewal as a Project Consultant for an additional 12 months, based on performance.
Financial Allowance:
Senior Interns, upon successfully completing the selection processes by UNIDROIT and CSC, will receive a monthly CSC scholarship of 1,800 EUR for the duration of their internship. Please refer to https://www.csc.edu.cn/article/2769 for more details.
Applications (comprising of a Cover Letter, CV and references) can be submitted to internships@unidroit.org by 12 January 2025.
Please note that this Senior Internship position is supported by the China Scholarship Council and is therefore only open to applicants with Chinese nationality.
General Description
Established in 1926 as part of the League of Nations, the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) is an independent intergovernmental organisation based in the Villa Aldobrandini in Rome. UNIDROIT’s mission is to modernise, harmonise, and coordinate private and commercial law among States and groups of States by developing uniform law instruments, principles, and rules. The Institute is supported by 63 member States from diverse legal, economic, and cultural backgrounds, with funding from annual contributions and projects.
Vacancy Description:
UNIDROIT is seeking two motivated Senior Interns to work on the delivery of a range of activities associated with the Institute’s Centenary in 2026. Interns will work closely with legal officers, supporting the planning and organisation of various initiatives marking UNIDROIT’s centenary.
Key Responsibilities:
Administrative support, facilitating communications, managing liaison activities, and assisting with tasks as directed by legal officers, to deliver the following initiatives:
Organisation of the main celebratory event for the Centenary in late 2026 in Rome, which will involve a joint sitting of the UNIDROIT General Assembly and the UNIDROIT Governing Council.
Organisation of regional events across the world on UNIDROIT instruments and projects.
Supporting work related to UNIDROIT’s specialised workstreams[1] focused on (i) taking stock of how our relevant instrument(s) have performed in the past; (ii) analysing the strengths and weaknesses of the instrument(s); and (iii) proposing a way forward in each thematic area, with specific recommendations.
Supporting other administrative activities related to the Centenary, including (i) financing initiatives, (ii) strengthening UNIDROIT’s Institutional Framework, preparation of Historical Volumes, dissemination of UNIDROIT’s work in additional languages, and modernisation of UNIDROIT’s operation.
Qualifications:
Master’s degree or higher in management, administration, social sciences, languages or law. Preference will be given to candidates with backgrounds in English translation, foreign languages, and international studies. The scholarship application requirements can be found on the China Scholarship official website：https://www.csc.edu.cn/article/2769.
Professional Experience:
Experience in organising large-scale international conferences, with comprehensive knowledge of all stages from planning to execution.
Proven ability to coordinate resources, manage schedules, and maintain effective communication with all involved parties. Experience with international organisations is highly preferred.
Experience in the drafting, proofreading, editing and formatting of reports, letters, agendas, memos and other documents.
Skills and Competencies:
Language Proficiency: Minimum IELTS score of 7.0 or TOEFL score of 94. Strong English communication skills, both written and spoken (English is the primary working language).
Multitasking and Deadline Management: Skilled in handling multiple tasks effectively, meeting deadlines under time constraints.
Organisational Abilities: Highly detail-oriented, capable of efficiently managing complex tasks to ensure that conferences and events run smoothly and to schedule.
Internship Duration:
1 March 2025 to 28 February 2026 (12 months), with the potential for renewal as a Project Consultant for an additional 12 months, based on performance.
Financial Allowance:
Senior Interns, upon successfully completing the selection processes by UNIDROIT and CSC, will receive a monthly CSC scholarship of 1,800 EUR for the duration of their internship. Please refer to https://www.csc.edu.cn/article/2769 for more details.
Applications (comprising of a Cover Letter, CV and references) can be submitted to internships@unidroit.org by 12 January 2025.
Please note that this Senior Internship position is supported by the China Scholarship Council and is therefore only open to applicants with Chinese nationality.
General Description:
Established in 1926 as part of the League of Nations, the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) is an independent intergovernmental organisation based in the Villa Aldobrandini in Rome. UNIDROIT’s mission is to modernise, harmonise, and coordinate private and commercial law among States and groups of States by developing uniform law instruments, principles, and rules. The Institute is supported by 63 member States from diverse legal, economic, and cultural backgrounds, with funding from annual contributions and projects.
Vacancy Description:
UNIDROIT is seeking one motivated Senior Intern to assist the Digital Communications team and contribute to the implementation of the UNIDROIT Digital Communications and Social Media programme and the delivery of a range of activities related to the Institute’s current Work Programme, projects and legal instruments. The Senior Intern will work closely with the Digital Communications team, including the Digital Communications Managers, as well as with other UNIDROIT staff in delivering their responsibilities.
Key Responsibilities:
Implementing social media marketing campaigns, creating engaging content, executing digital marketing strategies, improving communication initiatives, and assisting with tasks to deliver the following initiatives:
Develop video content for the Secretariat, primarily focused on UNIDROIT instruments and ongoing projects.
Prepare a promotional strategy for important events and ongoing work.
Develop newsletters, graphics, and templates for various ongoing projects at UNIDROIT.
Assist in growing the Institute’s visibility on key social media platforms (LinkedIn, X, Facebook, YouTube).
Assist in preparing social media content and promoting campaigns daily.
Ensure consistent use of UNIDROIT branding and terminology.
Monitor and respond to inquiries about UNIDROIT’s work on social media platforms.
Qualifications:
Master’s degree or higher in communications, design, marketing, journalism, public relations, or related field; applicants with a background in law may also apply if they have the relevant professional experience. The scholarship application requirements can be found on the China Scholarship official website：https://www.csc.edu.cn/article/2769
Professional Experience:
1-2 years of experience in digital communications management.
Experience with international organisations is highly preferred.
Proven experience in video development and editing software, with comprehensive knowledge of all stages from planning to execution.
Experience working with WordPress is preferred.
Experience in writing, social media posts, graphics, or multimedia work.
Experience in content creation, including designing flyers and crafting engaging, on-brand content.
Entry-level understanding of marketing strategy and outreach.
Entry-level experience determining how to cater unique campaigns to a unique audience.
Experience in the drafting, proofreading, editing and formatting of reports, letters, agendas, memos and other documents.
Skills and Competencies:
Language Proficiency: Minimum IELTS score of 7.0 or TOEFL score of 94. Strong English communication skills, both written and spoken (English is the primary working language).
Multitasking and Deadline Management: Skilled in handling multiple tasks effectively, meeting deadlines under time constraints. Organisational Abilities: Highly detail-oriented, capable of efficiently managing complex tasks to ensure that conferences and events run smoothly and to schedule.
Internship Duration:
1 March 2025 to 28 February 2026 (12 months), with the potential for renewal as a Digital Communications Consultant for an additional 12 months, based on performance.
Financial Allowance:
Senior Interns, upon successfully completing the selection processes by UNIDROIT and CSC, will receive a monthly CSC scholarship of 1,800 EUR for the duration of their internship. Please refer to https://www.csc.edu.cn/article/2769 for more details.
Applications (comprising of a Cover Letter, CV and references) can be submitted to internships@unidroit.org by 12 January 2025.
SIR ROY GOODE SCHOLARSHIP
Started in 2020 thanks to the generosity of Sir Roy Goode, the Sir Roy Goode Scholarship provides one outstanding post-graduate (doctoral) law student, lawyer, academic or government official with the opportunity to undertake research in the Unidroit Library and work with the Unidroit Secretariat for a period of 6-9 months on one or more topics related to one of the Institute’s high priority legislative projects or existing instruments. The Sir Roy Goode Scholarship provides a unique opportunity to gain valuable insights into the methods of private uniform law-making.
The Sir Roy Goode Scholar is provided with a monthly stipend for 6-9 months, in addition to return economy airfares from their country of residence and health insurance for the duration of their stay in Rome.
Past recipients include:
2020 – 2021: Ms Theodora Kostoula
2021 – 2022: Professor Teresa Rodriguez de las Heras Ballell
2022 – 2023: Ms Diletta Lenzi
2024 – 2025: Associate Professor Basoglu Kapanci
UNIDROIT welcomes public officials and lawyers from UNIDROIT member States to join its staff temporarily on Secondment: judges, public administration officials and professionals from public entities are invited to participate in the work of the Secretariat of UNIDROIT. Their full remuneration, health and pension schemes should continue to be fully covered by their employer during their Secondment at UNIDROIT.
The specific conditions of the secondment and the duties of the seconded person are agreed with the relevant public entity.
UNIDROIT currently has active secondment programmes with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China and the Ministry of Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.
Persons and Institutions interested in this kind of co-operation are invited to contact Ms Laura Tikanvaara: l.tikanvaara@unidroit.org
The Secretariat has over 30 co-operation agreements with academic institutions. Formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, cooperation agreements allow for the development of joint research projects, initiatives or study programmes focused on UNIDROIT instruments; promotion of research stays or internships at UNIDROIT for professors and students or the establishment of joint fellowships.
Queen Mary University London / Unidroit Institute For Transnational Commercial Law
The QMUL – UNIDROIT Institute for Transnational Commercial Law was founded in 2016 following an initiative of Professor Sir Roy Goode and UNIDROIT President Professor Alberto Mazzoni through a concordat between QMUL and UNIDROIT.
On 9 February 2023, the partnership was relaunched with a signing ceremony held at the Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), celebrating an agreement signed by Professor Ignacio Tirado, Secretary-General of UNIDROIT, and Professor Professor Colin Grant, Vice-Principal (International) of QMUL . The Institute, with a newly appointed Executive, Management, and Advisory Boards, is led by Professor Anna Veneziano and Professor Rosa Lastra as Co-Directors, Professor Sir Roy Goode as Founding Director and Dr Franziska Arnold-Dwyer as Deputy Director.
For further information on the academic cooperation agreements, please contact Ms Laura Tikanvaara: l.tikanvaara@unidroit.org
Established in 2021 with the support of the UNIDROIT Foundation, the UNIDROIT Alumni Association is a platform dedicated to the distinguished guests which have been welcomed to Villa Aldobrandini as part of UNIDROIT’s Scholarship, Internship, and Research Programme since 1993.
Incoming researchers and interns are entitled to a complimentary one year membership of the UNIDROIT Alumni Association. For more information, please contact alumni@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’.
Professor Donati is the author of several publications on corporate law, restructuring, insolvency law, and bank crisis management. On the same topics, he has been invited as a speaker to various international and national conferences and participated in some high-impact international, European, and national research projects. Professor Donati’s education includes a Ph.D. in Corporate Law (University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’), an LLM in Corporate Governance (Stanford Law School), and a Law Degree with honors (University of Florence). He is qualified as an attorney in Italy and in the State of New York (USA).
Ms Olga Fonotova is an Associate Professor of the Faculty of Law (Department of Legal Regulation of Business) at the Russian National Research University “Higher School of Economics” in Moscow. She holds a PhD degree cum laude in private law / private international law from the Lomonosov Moscow State University (2006). Her academic and teaching interests cover private international law, international and national commercial law, with a focus on unified and non-state legal regulation of cross-border commerce.
Olga is a Russian law qualified practicing lawyer in the sphere of national and international commercial and corporate law with 20+ years’ experience in leading law firms. As part of her legal practice, she has advised multinational corporations on the setting up of multi-jurisdictional commercial relations, on the formation / termination of international joint ventures, restructuring of assets, and financing / refinancing of projects. For her work on commercial and corporate legal matters she was included in the international rating of leading lawyers “The Best Lawyers® in Russia” (2018 – 2022).
She is a UNIDROIT alumna (2011) and a Correspondent of UNIDROIT in Russia (2023 – 2025). From 2016 to 2021 Olga was a member of the ICC Commission on Commercial Law and Practice (ICC CLP) and a member of the Association of European Business (AEB) in Moscow.
Allan M. Mukuki, PhD Candidate (Navarra, Spain), LLM (Groningen, Netherlands), PGDip (KSL), LLB (Hons) (UoN), ACIArb (London), Advocate of the High Court of Kenya.
Allan Mukuki is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya as well as a Commissioner for Oaths. He is presently a PhD Candidate at the University of Navarra in Spain. He is also a holder of an LL.M in International Law and the Law of International Organizations, from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. He has an LL. B (Hons) from the University of Nairobi, he is a Member of the Cha
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.
Some of his many roles in the legal profession include Director of International Partnerships; a Doctoral Fellow; member of the Management Committee and moot court coordinator, all for Strathmore Law School; Research Fellow for the African Region (Kenya), for the European Research Council Grant Project on the interpretation of customary international law; and Acting Director for the Strathmore Institute of Advanced Studies in International Criminal Justice (SIASIC)
Allan has previously worked at A.F Gross Advocate; in various legal institutes; in governmental agencies and in the Judiciary of Kenya. He was also a Legal researcher in the Office of the Solicitor General, Kenya, for the Maritime Delimitation in the Indian Ocean (Somalia v. Kenya), a case that was before the International Court of Justice. His main areas of specialization include Public International Law, The Law of International Organizations, International Humanitarian Law, International and Regional (EAC) Refugee Law and Legal Policy Development.
Further, Allan has been involved in various national and international legal consultancies and projects; he has published several peer reviewed legal articles, a legal monograph and presented several legal papers in international conferences around the world. He has also developed several policy documents for Strathmore University as well as (currently operational) manuals and laws for the operation of the Judiciary as well as governmental agencies and regional agencies such as IGAD.
ANDREA SANTACOLOMA
Director
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Andrea Santacoloma is a Panamanian lawyer that focuses her practice on international commercial arbitration.
Prior to joining Adell & Merizalde, Andrea was the Deputy Director for Latin America of the ICC International Court of Arbitration for 5 years. In this role, she gained vast experience in the internal functioning of the ICC’s Secretariat and Court and saw first-hand the work of hundreds of arbitrators and ICC Court Members in the region. Andrea was also in charge of identifying new opportunities and potential users of the ICC Dispute Resolution Services (ICC DRS) in Latin America, in liaison with the ICC National Committees and other institutions in the region. She also worked as a lawyer advising local and international clients on business and corporate law and M&A in 3 Panamanian law firms.
She is currently the Executive Director of the Latin American Arbitration Association (ALARB), one of Latin America’s leading associations gathering practitioners and arbitrators, which seeks to encourage the use of arbitration and foster initiatives for the development of international arbitration in the region.
In July 2022, the G
overning Council of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) appointed Andrea as a Correspondent for Latin America. Namely, Andrea was appointed as a Correspondent for the Republic of Panama for the period 2022-2025.
EDUCATION
• American University Washington College of Law, LL.M. in International Arbitration and Business Law
• International Training Centre of the International Labor Organization (ILO) jointly with the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), Università degli Studi di Torino, and University Institute of European Studies (IUSE), LL.M. in International Trade Law & Dispute Resolution
• Universidad Católica Santa María La Antigua, LL.M. in Corporate Law
• Universidad Católica Santa María La Antigua, Degree in Law and Political Science
• Centro de Estudios Regionales de Panamá, Diploma in Entrepreneurship and Management of Small and Medium Enterprises
Bar admissions
Republic of Panama
Languages
Spanish, English, Italian (intermediate)
asantacoloma@adellmerizalde.com
+507 370 4155
NAME: PROF. DR. HERNANY VEYTIA (LL.M. YALE)
AFFILIATION DIRECTOR BNM-CAMBRIDGE STUDY CENTRE ON SUSTAINABLE INVESTMENTS
PRESENTATION
Professor of law, international strategic consultant, arbitrator, and entrepreneur. Hernany Veytia is very comfortable with complex, high-profile and confidential transactions. Her consulting experience as partner of BNM and Deloitte enables her to focus on and add value to the sustainable and commercial aspects of each deal. Frequently she leads transdisciplinary teams to deliver fact findings and legal opinions, feasibility studies and turn-key projects for banks, governments, international organisations, and corporations willing to expand or withdraw operations in other jurisdictions.
In Prof Veytia’s experience UNIDROIT works have been very useful to understand not only the foreign law, but also to recognise the cultural, political, and economic factors at play, and the way national and international regulators operate-and cooperate. In her opinion, UNIDROIT instruments have been of utmost importance for the legal strategies she designed for:
• DANPREIT (Dispute Analytics Platform for Real Estate Investment Trusts in the Agriculture, Construction and Mining industries).
• TELEKAIROS, innovative methodology that incorporates the use of space assets.
• Corporate art collections, restitutions, including donations, sponsorships, and loans to museums.
• Contracts used by a German waterworks company willing to grow in all the Caribbean and Central American countries.
• Liquidation of commercial and investment banks
• IPOs and reverse mergers for companies in the extraction industries (Canadian stock exchange), ILS listed in Bermuda and African sovereign funds listed in London.
• Franchising and other commercial contracts in the food & drinks, health, aero-space, and automotive industries.
In the last three decades Prof. Veytia has lived, and successfully completed investments and disinvestments in more than forty countries in the five Continents. She is frequently appointed as arbitrator and invited as speaker on risk transfers at international industry conferences in fields of her expertise: energy (both renewable and traditional), artificial intelligence, infrastructure, mining, real estate, agriculture, rail, space, automotive, and franchising. She sits in the board of directors of companies in Europe including the United Kingdom.
Anna Veneziano is the Deputy Secretary General of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT). She is a Professor of Comparative Law at the University of Teramo, Italy, where she was formerly the Director of the Department of Private Law. She has also formerly been a tenured Professor of European Property Law at the University of Amsterdam (UvA). Her education includes a Law Degree with honours from the University of Rome La Sapienza, an LL.M degree from the Yale Law School funded by a Fulbright scholarship, and a PhD degree from the University of Florence (Italy).
Her main research and publication areas are on secured transactions as well as international, comparative, and European contract and sales law. Before joining UNIDROIT she was a member of the Italian delegation with respect to the Cape Town Convention on International Interests on Mobile Equipment and its Aircraft Protocol as well as its Space Protocol. She was also a member of the Study Group on a European Civil Code and of the Compilation and Redaction Group on a Draft Common Frame of Reference on European Private Law (DCFR), and of the restricted Expert Group set up by the European Commission on a common European law on sales.
P
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.
Amongst other accolades to his professional experience, Professor Tirado is a founding member of the European Banking Institute, an International Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy and has been Director and Academic Co-Chair of the International Insolvency Institute.
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.
