The UNIDROIT Principles 2004 consist of the Preamble (1994 version, with the addition of paragraphs 4 and 6 as well as the footnote) and 185 articles divided into ten chapters, namely Chapter 1: “General Provisions” (1994 version, with the addition of Arts. 1.8 and 1.12); Chapter 2, Section 1: “Formation” (1994 version) and Section 2: “Authority of Agents” (new); Chapter 3: “Validity” (1994 version); Chapter 4: “Interpretation” (1994 version); Chapter 5, Section 1: “Content” (1994 version, with the addition of Art. 5.1.9) and Section 2: “Third Party Rights” (new); Chapter 6, Section 1: “Performance in General” (1994 version) and Section 2: “Hardship” (1994 version); Chapter 7, Section 1: “Non-performance in General” (1994 version), Section 2: “Right to Performance” (1994 version), Section 3: “Termination” (1994 version) and Section 4: “Damages” (1994 version); Chapter 8: “Set-off” (new); Chapter 9, Section 1: “Assignment of Rights” (new), Section 2: “Transfer of Obligations” (new) and Section 3: “Assignment of Contracts” (new); Chapter 10: “Limitation Periods” (new).

A significant recognition of the important role the UNIDROIT Principles play in international contract and arbitration practice may be seen in the fact that UNCITRAL at its fortieth session (2007) formally endorsed the 2004 UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts and commended their use for their intended purposes.

Members of the Working Group for the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts 2004

Documents issued in connection with the preparation of the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts 2004

UNIDROIT official language versions of the black letter rules of the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts 2004:

English , French , German , Italian and Spanish .

• Arabic , prepared by Prof. Dr. Omaia Elwan, Prof. Dr. Mohieddin I. Alameddin and Prof. Dr. Mohamed Hossam M. Lotfi. All rights reserved.

• Chinese , edited and translated by the Treaty and Law Department of the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) of the People's Republic of China. All rights reserved.

• Farsi , translated and researched by Professor Berhooz Akhlaghi, Member of the Working Group for the Preparation of Principles of International Commercial Contracts (3^rd), and Mr Farhad Emam. All rights reserved.

• Japanese , translated by Professor Takashi Uchida, University of Tokyo, and Professor Hiroo Sono, University of Tokyo.

• Korean , prepared by Professor Won-Suk Oh, College of Business Administration, Sugkuynkwan University, Seoul, Korea. All rights reserved.

• Polish , translated by Mr Barnaba Skibniewski in consultation with Prof. Stanislaw Soltysinski. All rights reserved

• Portuguese : in GAMA Jr., L., Contratos Internacionais ΰ luz dos Princμpios do UNIDROIT 2004: Soft Law, Arbitragem e Jurisdicao. Renovar, Brazil, 2006, pp. i-575.

  Portuguese , translated by Joγo Baptista Villela, Professor Emιrito na Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

• Romanian , prepared by Ms Marilena Ene and Ms Laura Oprea. All rights reserved.

• Russian , translated by Professor Alexander Komarov, member of the Governing Council of UNIDROIT; member of the Working Group for the preparation of the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts.

• Serbian

• Turkish

• Vietnamese , translated and edited by the Maison du Droit Vietnamo-Franηaise, Hanoi, Vietnam. All rights reserved.

The integral version of the 2004 edition of the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts exists in four official language versions - English, French, Italian and Spanish - as well as in Arabic, Chinese, Farsi , Korean, Romanian, Russian and Vietnamese.

Download the integral version (full text) of the 2004 edition of the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts in English, French and Italian.

Download the integral version (full text) of the 1994 edition of the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts in English , French and Italian .

For international case law and bibliography relating to the UNIDROIT Principles see UNILEX database at http://www.unilex.info

Current work on a new edition of the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts

[This page was updated on 3 March 2009.]