The International Union of Notaries (UINL) is a non-governmental organisation. It aims to promote, co-ordinate and develop the function and activities of notaries throughout the world. It assures their dignity and independence in order to provide a better service to people and society in general.

Formed by 19 countries at the time of its establishment in 1948, our organisation includes 91 countries (updated on 3 December 2021), of which 22 out of the 27 member countries of the European Union and 15 out of the 19 countries of the G20, thus showing the expansion of the European legal system. Today it is in place in almost 120 countries, totalling 2/3 of the world population and accounting for over 60% of world Gross Domestic Product.

Directed by a Steering Committee formed by 28 councillors, the decision-making body is the General Meeting of member notariats where each country has one vote regardless of its importance. It also includes a General Council formed by 182 members and continental and intercontinental commissions working from the scientific (vocational training and research), strategic (development), economic (networks and activities) and sociological (human rights and social protection) standpoints.

Commissions and Working groups

The Commissions deal with notarial topics from the technical and legal viewpoints. They organise Study Days and Workshops.

They are broken down into continental commissions: African Affairs Commission, American Affairs Commission, European Affairs Commission and Asian Affairs Commission; and intercontinental commissions: International Notarial Co-operation Commission, Advisory Commission, Themes and Congresses Commission, Notarial Social Security Commission, Notarial Deontology Commission ad Human Rights Commission.

The working groups take part in the implementation of the action plan of the Union, especially in the fields of titling, partnerships with international organisations and the notarial network.

Aims

• Promote and apply the fundamental principles of the civil law notarial system and the principles of notarial deontology;
• Represent the notariat at and co-operate with international organisations;
• Collaborate with national bodies and institutional authorities in every country;
• Study law in the field of notarial activities and co-operate to harmonise national legislations at international level;
• Promote, organise and develop vocational training and support scientific works in the notarial field;
• Study and systematically gather legislation on the civil law notarial institution;
• Promote international congresses, conferences and meetings.

Promote and establish relations with:

• developing Notariats and Notaries in countries lacking notarial organisations to work for their development and organisation with a view to their admission to the Union;
• notarial organisations under legal systems that are eligible to join the civil law notarial system;
• organisations that are not part of the notarial system in order to collaborate with them in areas of common interest.
• Support the development of law in States.