The puzzle of the lack of Colombian cases on the CISG

• Author: Juan Antonio Gaviria-Gil
• Position: Professor and Researcher at School of Law in Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Medellín, Colombia
• Pages: 289-328

Int. Law: Rev. Colomb. Derecho Int. Bogotá (Colombia) N° 26: 289-328, enero - junio de 2015

THE PUZZLE OF THE LACK OF

COLOMBIAN CASES ON THE CISG*

EL ENIGMA DE LA AUSENCIA DE

CASOS SOBRE CISG EN COLOMBIA

Juan antonio Gaviria-Gil**

Reception date: May 24th, 2015

Acceptance date: June 16th, 2015

Availale online: June 30th, 2015

to cite this article / Para citar este artículo

Gavir ia-Gi l, Juan A ntonio, T he Puzzle of the Lack of C olombian Cas es

on the CISG, 26 Intern ational Law, Revista Col ombiana de Derecho I nter-

nacional, 289-328 (2015). http://dx.doi.org/10.11144/Javeriana.il15-26.plcc

doi:10.11144/Javeriana.i l15-26.plcc

ISS N:1692- 8156

* Investigation article

** Professor a nd Researche r at School of Law in Univ ersidad Ponti cia Bolivar iana,

Medellí n, Colombia. PhD in Law from A merican Universit y, the Washing ton College

of Law (Washing ton, United State s). Master in Laws (LL.M.) from the sa me university.

Master in E conomics from Universi dad EAFIT (Medellí n, Colombia). Master in Tax

Law from Univers idad Externado ( Bogotá, Colombia). Attorney a t-Law (equivalent to

a Juris Doct or) from Universidad Pont icia Boliva riana (Mede llín, Colombi a). Tenured

Professor an d Researcher at Scho ol of Law in Universidad Pont icia Bolivar iana, Me-

dellín , Colombia. Contact: j uan.gaviriag @upb.edu.co

Int. Law: Rev. Colomb. Derecho Int. Bogotá (Colombia) N° 26: 289-328, enero - junio de 2015

290 Juan antonio Gaviria-Gil

abstract

This pape r analyzes the pu zzle of the lack of ca se law on CISG in Colom-

bia; an enig ma that is even more per plexing taking i nto account that this

Convention is rega rded as a success c ase in the attempts of u nication of

internat ional private l aw and that there i s an import ant amount of ca se law

in other count ries. After exp laining thi s puzzle and me ntioning that there

is case law apply ing the CISG in cou ntries other t han Colombia, th is paper

studies t he reasons that m ight explain the lack of cas e law in Colombia.

Some of the hypoth eses are not feasible , such as (i) a lack of inter national

transac tions in contra cts for sale of goods whe re either the sel ler or the

buyer is from Colombia , (ii) the lack of knowled ge about the CISG among

Colombian compa nies, or (iii) the fa ct that internationa l contracts where

one of the part ies has its establis hment in Colombia does not tr igger any

disputes. O ther hypothe ses mig ht be partia lly true, s uch as (i) the exclu sion

of the CISG as the gover ning law of internationa l contracts where one of

the parti es has its domic ile in Colombia, (i i) the CISG is the governi ng law

of internat ional contracts where o ne of the parties is from C olombia, but

the compan ies, their att orneys at-law and, more i mportantly, the judge s

and arbitrator s who settle the di sputes arisi ng out of such contracts, are

unaware about the ex istence of th is Convention, or (iii) that i nternational

arbitral tr ibunals whose ve nue is a place outsid e Colombia, involving

neither Colombia n judges nor arbitrat ors whose venue is in C olombia,

settle the d isputes concer ning a sale of good s between a Colombian p arty

and a company from ot her country in con dential awards that , therefore,

are not report ed in international l egal databas es. After expla ining these

hypothese s, this pape r concludes and p resents the g uideline s for future

empiric al researc h that might solve the e nigma of the la ck of cases on

CISG in Colombia at a more de tailed level.

Keywords: case law; CISG; C olombia; intern ational sales; i nternationa l

contracts

Int. Law: Rev. Colomb. Derecho Int. Bogotá (Colombia) N° 26: 289-328, enero - junio de 2015

291

The Puzzle of The lack of colombian cases on The cisG

Resumen

Este artículo a naliza el enigm a de la ausenc ia de fallos proferidos por j ueces o

árbitros colombi anos en los que se apliq ue la CISG, el cual l uce todavía más

desconcerta nte al tener en cuenta qu e esta Convención es men cionada como

un caso de éxito e n los intentos de unic ación del derecho privad o. Luego de

explicar este enig ma y de mostra r cómo sí hay s ignic ativa juris pruden cia sobre

CISG en otros país es, este artículo ind aga las razones que pu eden motivar la

ausencia d e casos en nuestro p aís. Algunas d e estas hipótesis no son c reíbles,

como (i) una supuesta aus encia de transaccio nes internacionale s en las que

una parte sea u na empresa colombia na, (ii) la falta de conocim iento acerca

de esta Convenci ón, o (iii) el que los contratos de compraven ta internacional

en los que un a de las partes es colombian a no generan controversias. Ot ras

hipótesis podr ían ser al menos p arcialmente verí dicas, como (i) la posible

exclusión de l a CISG como ley susta ncial de contratos d e compraventa inter -

nacional d e mercaderías con partes c olombianas, (ii) el que tal Convenció n

sí sea aplicabl e pero que las empresas, su s abogados y los jueces y árbitros

que resuelven l as controversias ignoren su exi stencia, o (iii) el que sí surjan

controversias pa ra las cuales la CISG sí sea la l ey sustancial aplicabl e pero

que estas sea n dirimidas p or tribunales d e arbitramento con s ede fuera de

Colombia y cu yos laudos, por razon es de condenc ialidad, no se re portan en

las bases de d atos jurídicas. Luego de l a explicación de estas razones, este

artículo conc luye y plantea bases pa ra futuras investigacion es empíricas que

puedan di lucidar denitiva mente el enigma plantea do.

Palabras clave: CISG; Colo mbia; compraventas inter nacionales; contratos

internacionales; jurisprudencia; laudos arbitrales; ley aplicable

summary

introduction.- I. the GeoGraPhy of the aPPlication of the cisG.- II.

the reasons that may exPlain the lack of colombian case law on

the cisG.- A . Minor importan ce of internationa l trade in Colomb ia.- B.

Colombia n companies do not exclu de the CISG as the governi ng law of their

internatio nal transactio ns, but these do not ge nerate disputes .- C. Lack of

knowledge of the CIS G among entre preneurs a nd their lawye rs.- D. The CIS G

is the governing la w of international tra nsactions in good s, but the court, the

plaintiff, the defend ant, and their cou nsels are unaware of this fact .- E. The

parties contract o ut of the CISG as the governing law of the ir international

transactio ns in goods.- F. The p arties do not opt out of the CI SG, but the

contracts for intern ational sale of good s usually provide th at the forum to

settle any dispute i s a court or an arbitral t ribunal whose v enue is outsid e

Colom bia.- concludinG r emarks.- biblioGraPhy.