Summary COMESA MODEL LAW ON ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS AND GUIDE TO ENACTMENT 2010

COMESA MODEL LAW ON ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS AND GUIDE TO ENACTMENT 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................. 1 A. Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1 B. Scope of the project ....................................................................................... 1 C. Accession to the UNECIC .............................................................................. 2 D. COMESA Model Law on Electronic Transactions .......................................... 4 D. Guide to Enactment of the Model Law on Electronic Commerce ................... 7 E. Extending the jurisdiction of the COMESA Court of Justice ........................... 8 CHAPTER 1 UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE USE OF ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS IN INTERNATIONAL CONTRACTS ..................................... 9 United Nations Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts ................................................................................. 10 Chapter I Sphere of application .................................................................... 11 Chapter II General provisions ....................................................................... 12 Chapter III: Use of electronic communications in international contracts...... 14 Chapter IV Final provisions .......................................................................... 16 CHAPTER 2 GUIDE TO ENACTMENT: UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE USE OF ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS IN INTERNATIONAL CONTRACTS (UNECIC) .............................................................................................................. 21 A. Accession to the UNECIC ............................................................................ 21 B. Article 17: Participation by COMESA as a Regional Economic Integration Organization ................................................................................................. 22 C. Article 19 Declaration – Scope of Application: Parties .................................. 23 D. Article 20 Declaration – Scope of Application: Conventions ......................... 24 E. Article 22 Reservations................................................................................. 25 CHAPTER 3 COMESA MODEL LAW ON ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS ................ 27 Chapter I. General Provisions ............................................................................... 28 Article 1. Sphere of application ..................................................................... 28 Article 2. Definitions ...................................................................................... 28 Article 3. Interpretation ................................................................................. 29 Article 4. Variation by agreement ................................................................. 29 Article 5. Location of the parties ................................................................... 29 Chapter II. Application of Legal Requirements to Data Messages ........................ 30 Page ii Article 6. Legal recognition of data messages .............................................. 30 Article 7. Writing ........................................................................................... 30 Article 8. Signature ....................................................................................... 30 Article 9. Original .......................................................................................... 31 Article 10. Admissibility and evidential weight of data messages ................. 31 Article 11. Retention of data messages ........................................................ 32 Chapter III. Communication of Data Messages .................................................... 32 Article 12. Formation and validity of contracts .............................................. 32 Article 13. Use of automated message systems for contract formation ........ 32 Article 14. Error in electronic communications .............................................. 33 Article 15. Invitations to make offers ............................................................. 33 Article 16. Recognition by parties of data messages .................................... 33 Article 17. Attribution of data messages ....................................................... 33 Article 18. Acknowledgement of receipt........................................................ 34 Article 19. Time and place of dispatch and receipt of data messages .......... 35 Article 20. Notarisation, acknowledgement and certification......................... 36 Article 21. Other requirements ...................................................................... 36 Chapter IV. Consumer Protection ......................................................................... 37 Article 22. Scope of application .................................................................... 37 Article 23. Information to be provided ........................................................... 37 Article 24. Cooling-off period ........................................................................ 39 Article 25. Unsolicited goods, services or communications .......................... 39 Article 26. Performance ................................................................................ 40 Article 27. Applicability of foreign law ........................................................... 40 Article 28. Non-exclusion .............................................................................. 40 Article 29. Consumer Complaints ................................................................. 40 Chapter V. Online Dispute Resolution .................................................................. 40 Article 30. Conciliation before the Court of Justice of the Common Market .. 40 Chapter VI. Final Provisions ................................................................................. 42 Article 31. Regulations.................................................................................. 42 Article 32. Short title and commencement .................................................... 42 Page i CHAPTER 4 CONCILIATION RULES OF THE COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE COMMON MARKET ............................................................................................. 43 A. Amendment of the COMESA Treaty ............................................................ 43 B. Amendment of the Rules of the COMESA Court of Justice .......................... 43 Part 24: Conciliation Rules ........................................................................... 43 Rule 101: Application of the Rules ............................................................... 43 Rule 102: Nature of Proceedings ................................................................. 43 Rule 103: Commencement of Conciliation Proceedings............................... 44 Rule 104: Appointment of Conciliators ......................................................... 44 Rule 105: Conciliation Process ..................................................................... 44 Rule 106: Role of the Conciliator .................................................................. 45 Rule 107: Co-operation of the Parties .......................................................... 45 Rule 108: Settlement Suggestions by the Parties ........................................ 45 Rule 109: Settlement Agreement ................................................................. 46 Rule 110: Confidentiality of Proceedings ...................................................... 46 Rule 111: Costs ............................................................................................ 46 CHAPTER 5 GUIDE TO ENACTMENT OF THE COMESA MODEL LAW ON ELECTRONIC COMMERCE ................................................................................ 47 Purpose of this guide ............................................................................................ 47 I. INTRODUCTION TO THE MODEL LAW ........................................................... 48 A. OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................... 48 B. SCOPE .................................................................................................... 49 C. STRUCTURE ........................................................................................... 50 E. THE "FUNCTIONAL-EQUIVALENT" APPROACH ................................... 51 F. DEFAULT RULES AND MANDATORY LAW ........................................... 52 II. ARTICLE-BY-ARTICLE REMARKS .................................................................. 53 Chapter I. General provisions ............................................................................... 53 Article 1. Sphere of application ..................................................................... 53 Article 2. Definitions ...................................................................................... 55 Article 3. Interpretation ................................................................................. 60 Article 4. Variation by agreement ................................................................. 61 Article 5. Location of the parties ................................................................... 62 Chapter II. Application of legal requirements to data messages ........................... 64 Article 6. Legal recognition of data messages .............................................. 64