International Institute for the Unification of Private Law

About the 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 are 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 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 organisation since 1950.