International Institute for the Unification of Private Law

About International Institute for the Unification of Private Law

• It is an independent intergovernmental Organisation.
• It was set up in 1926 as an auxiliary organ of the League of Nations, following the demise of the League it was re-established in 1940 on the basis of a multilateral agreement, the UNIDROIT Statute.
• Members: It consists of 65 Member States drawn from the five continents and represent a variety of different legal, economic and political systems as well as different cultural backgrounds.
• Funding: The Institute is financed by annual contributions from its Member States which are fixed by the General Assembly.
• Structure
  • It has an essentially three-tiered structure, made up of a Secretariat, a Governing Council and a General Assembly. 
  • The Secretariat is the executive organ of UNIDROIT responsible for carrying out its Work Programme from day to day.
  • It is headed by a Secretary-General appointed by the Governing Council on the nomination of the President of the Institute.
  • The Secretary-General is assisted by a team of international civil servants and supporting staff.
  • The Governing Council supervises all policy aspects.
  • The General Assembly is the ultimate decision-making organ of UNIDROIT. 
• Languages: The official languages are English, French, German, Italian and Spanish; its working languages are English and French.
• India has been a member of this organization since 1950.

Q1) What is the League of Nations?

The League of Nations (1920 – 1946) was the first intergovernmental organization established “to promote international cooperation and to achieve international peace and security”. It is often referred to as the “predecessor” of the United Nations. Its founding document – the Covenant of the League of Nations – was drafted during the peace negotiations at the end of the First World War.

Source: Indian candidate elected to governing council of UNIDROIT