bricslawjournalBRICS Law JournalЮридический журнал БРИКС2409-90582412-2343Publishing House V.Ема10.21684/2412-2343-2014-1-1-1-15bricslawjournal-8Research ArticleCOMMENTSDO WE STILL NEED A CONVENTION IN THE FIELD OF HARMONISATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL LAW?KorzhevskayaA.

Anzhela Korzhevskaya (Moscow, Russia) – Deputy Director of Legal Department, FESCO Transportation Group, LLM in the International Commercial and Competition Law at the University of East Anglia (UK)

(29 Serebryanicheskaya emb., Moscow, 109028, Russia)

Akorzhevskaya@gmail.comFESCO Transportation GroupRussian Federation201422062016118297Copyright © Korzhevskaya A., 20162016Korzhevskaya A.Korzhevskaya A.This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.https://www.bricslawjournal.com/jour/article/view/8

The paper critically discusses the opinion of certain scholars that the use of multilateral treaties (conventions) in the field of harmonisation of international commercial law has been in a state of steady decline. They believe that traditional treaty law has been gradually replaced in recent years by softer methods of making international law, such as the use of restatements and model laws. Some scholars even claim that treaty law is dead or dying. The work assesses whether this view has reasonable grounds, providing an overview of the most prominent hard law and soft law harmonising instruments and outlining issues relating to the success of conventions, their advantages, drawbacks and tensions arising in this area. The paper suggests that conventions remain necessary where the third party or public interest are at stake, however, further improvements are needed to make conventions more successful instruments in international commercial law.

conventionsharmonisation of international commercial lawsoft lawhard lawmultilateral treatiesmodel lawsformulating agenciesReferencesA Guide to UNCITRAL: Basic Facts about the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (United Nations 2013), available at <http://www.uncitral.org/pdf/ english/texts/general/12-57491-Guide-to-UNCITRAL-e.pdf> (accessed Jan. 29, 2015).A Guide to UNCITRAL: Basic Facts about the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (United Nations 2013), available at <http://www.uncitral.org/pdf/ english/texts/general/12-57491-Guide-to-UNCITRAL-e.pdf> (accessed Jan. 29, 2015).Bonell, Michael J. An International Restatement of Contract Law 14, 25, 305, 311, 313–14 (3rd ed., Transnational Publishers 2005).Bonell, Michael J. An International Restatement of Contract Law 14, 25, 305, 311, 313–14 (3rd ed., Transnational Publishers 2005).Bonell, Michael J. Do We Need a Global Commercial Code?, 106 Dick. L. Rev. 87, 99 (2001), available at <http://www.cisg.law.pace.edu/cisg/biblio/bonell1.html> (accessed Jan. 29, 2015).Bonell, Michael J. Do We Need a Global Commercial Code?, 106 Dick. L. Rev. 87, 99 (2001), available at <http://www.cisg.law.pace.edu/cisg/biblio/bonell1.html> (accessed Jan. 29, 2015).Bonell, Michael J. Symposium paper: the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts: Achievements in Practice and Prospectus for the Future, 17 Australian International Law Journal 177, 181 (2010), available at <http://www.austlii. edu.au/au/journals/AUIntLawJl/2010/8.html> (accessed Jan. 29, 2015).Bonell, Michael J. Symposium paper: the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts: Achievements in Practice and Prospectus for the Future, 17 Australian International Law Journal 177, 181 (2010), available at <http://www.austlii. edu.au/au/journals/AUIntLawJl/2010/8.html> (accessed Jan. 29, 2015).Boss, Amelia H. The Future of Uniform Commercial Code Process in an Increasingly International World, 68 Ohio St. L.J. 349, 385–86, 388, 393, 399 (2007), available at <http://papers.ssrn.com/abstract_id=978025> (accessed Jan. 29, 2015).Boss, Amelia H. The Future of Uniform Commercial Code Process in an Increasingly International World, 68 Ohio St. L.J. 349, 385–86, 388, 393, 399 (2007), available at <http://papers.ssrn.com/abstract_id=978025> (accessed Jan. 29, 2015).Cutler, A. Claire. Public Meets Private: The International Unification and Harmonisation of Private International Trade Law, 13(1) Global Society 25, 35–37, 43 (1999). doi:10.1080/13600829908443177Cutler, A. Claire. Public Meets Private: The International Unification and Harmonisation of Private International Trade Law, 13(1) Global Society 25, 35–37, 43 (1999). doi:10.1080/13600829908443177Goode, Roy, et al. Transnational Commercial Law: Text, Cases and Materials 36, 113, 194, 230, 309, 356, 505–06, 554, 729 (Oxford University Press 2007).Goode, Roy, et al. Transnational Commercial Law: Text, Cases and Materials 36, 113, 194, 230, 309, 356, 505–06, 554, 729 (Oxford University Press 2007).Goode, Roy. Reflections on the Harmonisation of Commercial Law, os-19(1) Unif. L. Rev. 54, 57 (1991). doi:10.1093/ulr/os-19.1.54Goode, Roy. Reflections on the Harmonisation of Commercial Law, os-19(1) Unif. L. Rev. 54, 57 (1991). doi:10.1093/ulr/os-19.1.54Goode, Roy. Rule, Practice and Pragmatism in Transnational Commercial Law, 54(3) Int’l & Comp. L.Q. 539, 553–54, 557, 560, 562 (2005). doi:10.1093/iclq/lei017Goode, Roy. Rule, Practice and Pragmatism in Transnational Commercial Law, 54(3) Int’l & Comp. L.Q. 539, 553–54, 557, 560, 562 (2005). doi:10.1093/iclq/lei017Kronke, Herbert. International Uniform Commercial Law Conventions: Advantages, Disadvantage, Criteria for Choice, 5(1) Unif. L. Rev. 13, 15, 17–20 (2000). doi:10.1093/ ulr/5.1.13Kronke, Herbert. International Uniform Commercial Law Conventions: Advantages, Disadvantage, Criteria for Choice, 5(1) Unif. L. Rev. 13, 15, 17–20 (2000). doi:10.1093/ ulr/5.1.13Lando, Ole. Principles of European Contract Law and UNIDROIT Principles: Moving from Harmonisation to Unification?, 8(1–2) Unif. Law Rev. 123 (2003). doi:10.1093/ ulr/8.1-2.123Lando, Ole. Principles of European Contract Law and UNIDROIT Principles: Moving from Harmonisation to Unification?, 8(1–2) Unif. Law Rev. 123 (2003). doi:10.1093/ ulr/8.1-2.123Mistelis, Loukas. Is Harmonisation a Necessary Evil? The Future of Harmonisation and New Sorces of International Trade Law, in Foundations and Perspectives of International Trade Law 1-036–1-037, 1-049 (Ian Fletcher et al., eds.) (Sweet & Maxwell 2001).Mistelis, Loukas. Is Harmonisation a Necessary Evil? The Future of Harmonisation and New Sorces of International Trade Law, in Foundations and Perspectives of International Trade Law 1-036–1-037, 1-049 (Ian Fletcher et al., eds.) (Sweet & Maxwell 2001).Stephan, Paul B. The Futility of Unification and Harmonisation in International Commercial Law 1, 32 (University of Virginia School of Law, Legal Studies Working Paper No. 99-10, June 1999), <http://ssrn.com/abstract=169209> (accessed Jan. 29, 2014).Stephan, Paul B. The Futility of Unification and Harmonisation in International Commercial Law 1, 32 (University of Virginia School of Law, Legal Studies Working Paper No. 99-10, June 1999), <http://ssrn.com/abstract=169209> (accessed Jan. 29, 2014).UNCITRAL 2012 Digest of Case Law on the Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration (United Nations 2012), available at <http://www.uncitral.org/pdf/english/ clout/MAL-digest-2012-e.pdf> (accessed Jan. 29, 2015).UNCITRAL 2012 Digest of Case Law on the Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration (United Nations 2012), available at <http://www.uncitral.org/pdf/english/ clout/MAL-digest-2012-e.pdf> (accessed Jan. 29, 2015).UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency with Guide to Enactment and Interpretation (United Nations 2014), available at <http://www.uncitral.org/ pdf/english/texts/insolven/1997-Model-Law-Insol-2013-Guide-Enactment-e.pdf> (accessed Jan. 29, 2015).UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency with Guide to Enactment and Interpretation (United Nations 2014), available at <http://www.uncitral.org/ pdf/english/texts/insolven/1997-Model-Law-Insol-2013-Guide-Enactment-e.pdf> (accessed Jan. 29, 2015).

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest present.