The Fatwa and Legislation Department has reaffirmed Kuwait’s commitment to advancing international legal frameworks to enhance legal certainty, stimulate global trade and investment, and streamline dispute resolution mechanisms, according to a KUNA report. Heading the Kuwaiti delegation at the conclusion of the 59th session of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law late on July 10, Department Advisor Alia Al-Sabah told KUNA that Kuwait remains dedicated to updating multilateral legal structures to align with rapid global economic transformations. The New York meeting produced several concrete outcomes that support these goals.
KUNA reported that the commission finalized the Statute of the Advisory Centre on International Dispute Settlement and recommended its adoption by the UN General Assembly. The commission authorized evaluation of potential host locations for the center’s headquarters, with a final recommendation scheduled for submission to the General Assembly in 2027. Al-Sabah announced these results at the session’s close.
According to KUNA, the commission adopted the final draft of supplementary provisions governing international advisory dispute settlement procedures, marking progress in global cross-border mediation. The UNCITRAL Secretariat highlighted the United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents, which is scheduled to open for state signature in October 2026. The session concluded with the formal adoption of comprehensive working group reports spanning all agenda items.
The Kuwaiti delegation also included Senior Prosecutor Alaa Al-Enezi and Senior Attorney Abdullah Al-Otaibi, KUNA listed. Al-Sabah presided over the group in her capacity as counselor. Their attendance at the annual gathering reflected the country’s continued participation in the commission’s work.
A UN Information Service document describes UNCITRAL as the core legal body of the United Nations system in the field of international trade law. Established in 1966, the commission holds a mandate to remove legal obstacles to international trade by progressively modernizing and harmonizing trade law, the document stated. It prepares legal texts in areas such as international commercial dispute settlement, electronic commerce, insolvency, international payments, sale of goods, transport law, procurement and infrastructure development.
The 58th annual session of UNCITRAL that concluded in July 2025 made significant progress toward modernizing international trade law, a UN Information Service press release from that period indicated. That session built upon the organization’s established practice of promoting legislative and non-legislative instruments in key commercial law fields. Kuwait has engaged with these sessions over time to support development of such global standards.
