• Lecture
  • Related Materials

Prof. Harry Flechtner

Mr. Harry M. Flechtner
Professor of Law
University of Pittsburgh School of Law

Biography Biography in PDF
International Economic Law
Commercial Law
These lectures focus on the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods ("CISG"), a multi-lateral treaty that has been ratified to-date by 71 States and that has rightly been called the most successful commercial law treaty in history. The first of the two lectures examines the purposes, nature, history and scope of the CISG, as well as the ground-breaking web-based research infrastructure that has grown up around it. The second lecture explores the most important substantive sales law provisions of the CISG.

The United Nations Convention on Contracts
for the International Sale of Goods (Part I) –
Purposes, Background, History, Nature,
Scope and Application
Video | Audio
(21/7/2008, 32 minutes)


The United Nations Convention on Contracts
for the International Sale of Goods (Part II) –
Issues Covered and Key Substantive Provisions
Video | Audio
(21/7/2008, 34 minutes)
International Economic Law
Commercial Law
The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods
(Part I and II)

Outline of Lecture- Part I PDF document (42.2 KB)
Outline of Lecture- Part II (49.2 KB)
A. Legal Instruments
Convention on the Law Applicable to International Sales of Goods, The Hague, 1 September 1964, United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 834, p. 147.

Convention relating to a Uniform Law on the International Sale of Goods, The Hague, 1 July 1964, United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 834, p. 107.

Convention relating to a Uniform Law on the Formation of Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, The Hague, 1 July 1964, United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 834, p. 169.

United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, Vienna, 11 April 1980, United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1489, p. 3.
B. Documents
Report of the United Nations Commission on International trade law, Forty-fifth session, 25 June-6 July 2012 (A/67/17).

For history and current status of the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts, see the official website of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law.

For the updated ratification status of the CISG, see the official website of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law.

For the Case Law on UNCITRAL Texts (CLOUT), the official website of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law.

For the CISG database maintained by the Institute of International Law at Pace University School of Law, see the official website.

For the data base by the Center for Comparative and Foreign Law Studies, see the official website.

For the UNCITRAL Digest of Case Law on the United Nations Convention on the International Sale of Goods, see the official website of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law.
C. Doctrine
F. Ferrari (ed.), The 1980 Uniform Sales Law: Old Issues Revisited in the Light of Recent Experiences: Verona Conference 2003, Giuffrè /Sellier European Publishers, Milano, Munich, 2003.

F. Ferrari et al. (eds.), The Draft UNCITRAL Digest and Beyond: Cases, Analysis and Unresolved Issues in the U.N. Sales Convention, Sellier European Publishers/Sweet & Maxwell, Munich/London, 2004.

F. Ferrari, Contrat de vente internationale. Applicabilité et applications de la Convention de Vienne sur les contrats de vente internationale de merchandises, 2nd edition, Helbing & Lichtenhahn, Basle, 2005.

H. Flechtner et al. (eds.), Drafting Contracts under the CISG, Oxford University Press, USA, 2008.

J.O. Honnold, Uniform Law for International Sales under the 1980 United Nations Convention, 3rd edition, Kluwer Law International, The Hague, 1999.

J. Lookofsky, Understanding the CISG: A Compact Guide to the 1980 United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, 3rd (Worldwide) edition, Kluwer Law International, Alphen aan den Rijn, 2008.

U. Magnus, J. von Staudingers Kommentar zum Bürgerlichen Gesetzbuch: Wiener UN-Kaufrecht (CISG), De Gruyter, Berlin, 2005.

P. Schlechtriem/I. Schwenzer (eds.), Commentary on the UN Convention on the International Sale of Goods (CISG), 2nd edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2005. 

P. Schlechtriem/I. Schwenzer (eds.), Kommentar zum Einheitlichen UN-Kaufrecht –CISG, 5th edition, C.H. Beck, Munich, 2008.

P. Schlechtriem/C. Witz, Convention de Vienne sur les Contrats de Vente Internationale de Marchandises, Éditions Valloz, Paris, 2008.