Prepared by , Foreign & International Law Librarian
Tarlton Law Library has a comprehensive collection of materials devoted to the CISG. It is possible to do in-depth research on any question related to the CISG, using the hardcopy and online resources available in Tarlton Law Library.
The main area of the collection with materials on the CISG is K1028.3198 (stack 633). This guide presents essential additional information for doing full research on the CISG.
The U.S. was an early signer of the CISG and ratified it in 1986. In spite of that, the CISG has never been published in any official U.S. treaty source. You should not spend time trying to find the CISG in T.I.A.S. or U.S.T. It is in neither.
The following are good locations for the text of the convention:
Probably the most reliable source on the web for the text of the CISG is the website of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL).
The CISG is sometimes cited to "15 U.S.C. App." That is a bad cite. There is no appendix to Title 15 U.S.C. The CISG will be found in an appendix to 15 U.S.C.A., but this source, while convenient, is not as official as the sources noted above.
United Nations Conference on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, Vienna 10 March - April 11 1980: Official Records, Documents of the Conference and Summary Records of the Plenary Meetings and of the Mettings of the Main Committees. (New York: United Nations, 1981). JX1977 .A2 A/CONF., 97/19
This is the last major document in a long line of CISG preparatory works.
A useful compilation of the key elements of the CISG traveaux preparatoires is: Honnold, John O. Documentary History of the Uniform Law for International Sales. (Deventer, Netherlands: Kluwer, 1989). K 1028 .3198 H658 1989
In addition to the official records of the diplomatic conference cited above, it includes preliminary work by UNCITRAL working groups and by the Commission itself, most of this material being drawn from the: UNCITRAL Yearbook (New York, United Nations, 1971-). JX 1977 A2 A/CN.9 Ser.A
CISG travaux preparatoires can also be found on the web at:
A July 2007 Westlaw search on the Convention returned 63 cases in the DCT database, 10 in the CTA database and 6 in ALLSTATES. The search was easy to do because U.S. courts correctly use the name of the Conventions when they refer to it.
However, the CISG is of course a multilateral agreement. As of July 2007 there are 70 parties. That means that CISG cases can arise in the courts of 70 states. Moreover, Article 7(1) of the Convention says that "[i]n the interpretation of this Convention regard is to be had to its international character and to the need to promote uniformity in its application..."
So, how do you find CISG case law from jurisdictions around the world? There are several solutions, all based on the Web. They complement each other, so one should not be used to the exclusion of the others.
The leading commentary in English on the CISG is: Schlechtriem, Peter & Ingeborg Schwenzer. Commentary on the UN Convention on the International Sale of Goods (CISG). (2nd English ed., Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2005). K1028.3198 K6613 2005
The leading commentary written by an American is: Honnold, John. Uniform Law for International Sales under the 1980 United Nations Convention. (3rd ed., The Hague: Kluwer Law International, 1999). K1028.3198 H66 1999
Note that "United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (1980)" is a Library of Congress subject heading that can be used on TALLONS. Of course, searching by keyword is also possible.
There is one law journal devoted to the CISG: Review of the Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG). (Boston: Kluwer Law International, 1996-).
However, this journal is published late. As of July 2007, the last volume to appear was 2002-2003. Articles on the CISG can appear in all kinds of law journals. As of July 2007, a keyword search on the name of the Convention returned 430 articles on the LegalTrac index.
As of July 2007 there appears to be no other web-based guide dealing solely with researching the CISG. A Google search turns up other research guides that inculde research on the CISG.
Regarding websites, as the present guide is meant to be concise, it contents itself with referring to the overall best web portal for CISG research: the Pace Law School CISG Database, which includes an excellent current and
retrospective bibliography found at http://cisgw3.law.pace.edu/cisg/biblio/biblio-eng.html