The multiple uses of the unidroit principles of international commercial contracts: theory and practice

The publication of this Volume comes at a time when Governments are still struggling to get ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic and firms are still figuring out what will be the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak and how to adjust to changing business conditions. In this evolving scenario, the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts («UPICC»), being the only global instrument offering a set of comprehensive general rules applicable to different types of commercial contracts, represent an ideal answer to the impact of the pandemic on the performance of contractual obligations. While the essays of this Volume have been written before the coronavirus outbreak and do not specifically address the application of the UPICC to the contractual disruption caused by the pandemic, they are extremely timely, offering an in-depth analysis of (i) the different ways in which the UPICC can be used in practice, (ii) how the UPICC regulate (and can help preserve) long-term contracts, (iii) how, in practice, in-house counsel of multinational companies avail themselves of the UPICC (particularly using them as an instrument for negotiating, drafting, interpreting and supplementing commercial contracts). The idea behind this Volume (which includes among its Authors scholars, practitioners and in-house counsel) is to strengthen the bridge between the theory and practice of the UPICC and to favor a greater diffusion of their knowledge among the business community