text: ofliability ofoperators oftransport terminals initsprogramme ofwork,andto assign workonthepreparation ofuniform rulesonthatsubjecttoaWorking Group.17/Atitsseventeenth session in1984,theCommission decided toassign thatworktoitsWorking GrouponInternational Contract Practices. 18/The Working Groupcommenced workonthetopicatitseighthsession, heldat Vienna from3to13December 1984. 348.TheCommission hadbeforeitthereportoftheWorking GrouponInternational Contract Practices ontheworkofitseighthsession (A/CN.9/260). Thereportset forththedeliberations anddecisions oftheWorking Groupwithrespect toits methodofworkforcarrying outthetaskofpreparing uniform rulesonthe liability ofoperators oftransport ter~ina1s, andwithrespect toissuesarising inconnection withthesubject. 349.TheCommission expressed itssatisfaction withtheworkthusfaraccomplished, expressed itsappreciation totheWorking Groupfortheprogress made,and requested theWorking Grouptoproceed withitsworkexpeditiously. Inviewofthe particular importance oftheSecretariat studyrequested bytheWorking Groupfor thenextsession, theSecretariat wasrequested toprepare thedocumentation in sufficient timetoenableittobeconsidered bydelegations beforethebeginning ofthesession • -69-CHAPTER VI CO-ORDINATION OFWORK A.General co-ordination ofactivities 19/ 350.TheSecretary oftheCommission orallyreported ontheco-ordination activities inthefieldofinternational tradelawduringthepreceding year. He notedthatGeneral Assembly resolution 39/82of13December 1984hadreaffirmed "themandate oftheCommission, asthecorelegalbodywithintheUnitedNations systeminthefieldofinternational tradelaw,toco-ordinate activities inthis fieldinordertoavoidduplication ofeffort andtopromote efficiency, consistency andcoherence intheunification andharmonization ofinternational tradelaw". Hereported thatthedesignation oftheCommission asthecorelegal bodyinthefieldhadcometoberecognized byotherinternational organizations, bothwithin andoutside theUnitedNations, whoregularly turnedtotheCommission andtoitsSecretariat forleadership inthefield. 351.Theparticipation ofthelargenumberofotherinternational organizations in themeetings oftheCommission anditsWorking Groups, asreflected inthereports ofthosemeetings, wasnotedbytheCommission. Itwasrecognized thatbytheir participation theycontributed theirexpertise tothedevelopment ofthe Commission's ownprogramme ofwork.Itwasalsorecognized thattheir participation inthemeetings oftheCommission servedasaneffective formof co-ordination oftheiractivities withthoseoftheCommission. 352.TheCommission welcomed thecontinuing contact between theSecretariat and otherorganizations interested ininternational tradelawandurgedthe Secretariat, within thelimitsofavailable resources, tostrengthen those relationships totheextentpossible. 353.Itwasnotedthatforthenineteenth session oftheCommission theSecretariat intended topresent areportoncurrent activities ofotherinternational organizations inthefieldofinternational tradelawingeneral, similar tothose presented mostrecently in1981 and 1983. Inaddition areportwouldbepresented oncurrent activities ofotherorganizations inthefieldofinternational commercial arbitration. B.Legalvalueofcomputer records 20/ 354.TheCommission atitsflfteenth session in1982considered areportofthe Secretary-General containing adiscussion ofcertain legalproblems arising in electronic fundstransfers. 21/Inrespect ofthequestion ofthelegalvalueof computer records thereportconcluded: "Theproblem, whileofparticular importance tointernational electronic fundstransfers, isoneofgeneral concern forallaspects ofinternational trade. Generalized solutions would,therefore, be desirable." 22/OnthebasisofthatreporttheCommission requested the Secretariat tosubmittosomefuturesession areportonthelegalvalueof computer records ingeneral. 23/ 355.Atitsseventeenth session in1984theCommission decided toplacethesubject oflegalproblems arising outoftheuseofautomatic dataprocessing in internationl tradeontheprogramme ofworkasapriority item.24/Atitscurrent -70-session theCommission hadbeforeitareportonthelegalvalueofcomputer records (A/CN.9/265). 356.Aspartofthepreparation forthereport, theSecretariat hadprepared a questionnaire ontheuseofcomputer-readable dataasevidence incourt proceedings. Atthesametimeandinco-operation withtheSecretariat ofthe Commission theCustoms Co-operation Council prepareq aquestionnaire onthe
analysis: This text appears to be discussing the activities and decisions of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, specifically related to the coordination of work and the preparation of uniform rules on the liability of operators of transport terminals. The text also touches on the legal value of computer records in international trade. Given the focus on international trade and the legal aspects of electronic transactions, it seems likely that the text is related to the field of international trade.