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Newsmakers United Nations Body Adopts Global HARTFORD, CONN – The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) concluded its 38th annual plenary session in Vienna, Austria with the adoption of a new draft convention on the use of electronic communications in international contracting. William J. Luddy, Jr., J.D., Professor, Lally School of Management and Technology, Rensselaer's Hartford Campus, has been directly involved in the development of this treaty since 2002 and participated in the final diplomatic negotiations in Vienna last July. The new convention not only provides international legal standards for electronic transactions, but also enables integration of the new provisions in a wide range of earlier treaties. Professor Luddy noted during an interview that the convention will now go through a process that will conclude with approval by the United Nations General Assembly next fall or early winter. “It seems likely that the United Nations General Assembly will move the convention forward especially since it has significant benefits not only for developed countries, like the United States, but also for many developing and transitioning economy countries.” If the convention is approved, it will be opened for signing at the UN, next summer. Professor Luddy has participated in these international negotiations as a member of the United States Delegation and as a member and leader of the American Bar Association's Delegation to UNCITRAL. Professor Luddy said the new convention will bring significant benefits. “It will facilitate global commerce for many companies in the U.S., including small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that need a higher level of legal certainty and predictability to participate more fully in international business transactions.” He also pointed out that the convention has the potential to boost e-commerce capacity in developing countries, which will enhance trade with the U.S. “This could provide real value, particularly for companies in those countries and for companies in the U.S. seeking to establish or enhance their global supply chain networks,” he said. Professor Luddy has been a member of the Rensselaer faculty for 30 years and a published authority on computer law since 1986. More recently, he has been a key figure in the development of global e-commerce, IT policy, and law. A member of the Connecticut bar, he practices primarily in the areas of Internet and e-commerce law, intellectual property law, corporate development and ventures, and strategic alliances. He also advises companies on corporate governance and social responsibility issues and matters related to business policy and strategy. He is a member of the Editorial Board of the Connecticut Bar Journal, the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Legal Studies in Business, and an editorial review board member of the Journal of Business in Developing Nations. Professor Luddy is Chair of the American Bar Association (ABA) Science and Technology Section's E-Commerce & IT Division, Co-Chair of its International Policy Coordinating Committee, and a member of the Section's governing Council. He is also Vice Chair of the Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility of the ABA's Section of International Law. MEDIA NOTE: Professor Luddy is available for interviews. Please contact the Office of Communications at Rensselaer's Hartford Campus to schedule a time. # # # |