With Professor Sir Roy Goode’s personal endorsement, the Cape Town Convention Academic Project will issue annotations from time to time to the Official Commentary on the Convention and its Aircraft Protocol (the ‘Annotations’).

By resolution of the diplomatic conferences to adopt the Convention and Protocols thereto, Professor Sir Roy Goode was authorised to produce Official Commentaries on the instruments. The Official Commentary for the Convention and Aircraft Protocol was issued in 2002 and revised in 2008, 2013, and 2019. The Official Commentary for the Convention and Rail Protocol was issued in 2008 and revised in 2014, and the Official Commentary on the Convention and Space Protocol was issued in 2013. These commentaries are the authoritative source for those seeking to understand and interpret the Convention and its various protocols.

Annotations will be issued pursuant to procedures established by UNIDROIT and the University of Cambridge, under whose auspices and supervision the Cape Town Convention Academic Project operates. The annotations do not necessarily represent the formal position of UNIDROIT.

Annotations will be organised by reference to the paragraph of the Official Commentary to which they relate. With each new issuance, the cumulative version will be updated.

Annotations do not form part of the Official Commentary itself, which is the only publication authorised by the 2001 Diplomatic Conference. While having no official standing, Annotations, as a neutral and informed analysis, will fulfil a useful function in addressing questions that the Official Commentary does not, or does not fully address.

Latest update: On 11 May 2021, the Cape Town Convention Academic Project published an exchange of letters with Sir Roy Goode on the cross border application of Article XI of the Aircraft Protocol where the airline’s centre of main interest is in a Member State of the European Union.

On 13 July 2020, the Cape Town Convention Academic Project published an annotation to the 4th Edition of the Official Commentary of the Protocol on International Interests in Mobile Equipment and Protocol thereto on Matters specific to Aircraft Equipment on Aspects of cross-border insolvencies and the Cape Town Convention.

On 16 June 2020, the Cape Town Convention Academic Project published an annotation to the 4th Edition of the Official Commentary of the Protocol on International Interests in Mobile Equipment and Protocol thereto on Matters specific to Aircraft Equipment on Reorganisation Arrangements.

On 12 June 2020, Sir Roy Goode and the Cape Town Convention Academic Project confirmed an interest to issue an annotation to the Official Commentary regarding ‘Cape Town Convention and Aircraft Protocol – voluntary arrangements, schemes of arrangements, and restructuring plans – definition of insolvency proceedings‘.

TitleDescriptionYear
Letter - Application of Article XI of the Aircraft Protocol where airline’s centre of main interest is in an EU Member StateLetters exchanged with Sir Roy Goode on the Cross-border application of Article XI of the Aircraft Protocol where airline’s centre of main interest is in an EU Member State2021
Annotation 2 to OC 4th Ed - Aspects of cross-border insolvencies and the Cape Town Convention.pdfAnnotation to the 4th Edition of the Official Commentary of the Protocol on International Interests in Mobile Equipment and Protocol thereto on Matters specific to Aircraft Equipment2020
CTCAP – annotation 1 to OC 4th Ed – reorganisation arrangementsAnnotation to the 4th Edition of the Official Commentary of the Protocol on International Interests in Mobile Equipment and Protocol thereto on Matters specific to Aircraft Equipment2020
Cumulative Annotations as of 22 March 2016Cumulative Annotations to the 3rd Edition of the Official Commentary of the Protocol on International Interests in Mobile Equipment and Protocol thereto on Matters specific to Aircraft Equipment as of 22 March 20162016
Aircraft Protocol Annotation: Release 4 - 22 March 2016Annotation to the 3rd Edition of the Official Commentary of the Protocol on International Interests in Mobile Equipment and Protocol thereto on Matters specific to Aircraft Equipment2016
Aircraft Protocol Annotation: Release 3 - 28 August 2015Annotation to the 3rd Edition of the Official Commentary of the Protocol on International Interests in Mobile Equipment and Protocol thereto on Matters specific to Aircraft Equipment2015
Aircraft Protocol Annotation: Release 2 - 26 February 2014Annotation to the 3rd Edition of the Official Commentary of the Protocol on International Interests in Mobile Equipment and Protocol thereto on Matters specific to Aircraft Equipment2014
Aircraft Protocol Annotation: Release 1 - 26 February 2014Annotation to the 3rd Edition of the Official Commentary of the Protocol on International Interests in Mobile Equipment and Protocol thereto on Matters specific to Aircraft Equipment2014