India’s Uma Sekhar has been elected to the governing council of the Rome-based International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) in a competitive election that featured 32 candidates from countries such as the US, China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and France. The UNIDROIT is an independent intergovernmental organization that focuses on various legal issues, including the modernization of commercial and private laws. Uma Sekhar’s victory was described as historic, as she received an impressive 45 out of 59 votes in the first round of elections held in Rome. To be elected to the Governing Council, candidates needed at least 21 votes. India will now hold a position on the council from 2024 to 2028. The council consists of 25 positions held by legal experts. In the recent election, there were 32 candidates from various countries, with candidates from Russia, the US, and China failing to secure positions. The main objective of UNIDROIT is to study the needs and methods for modernizing, harmonizing, and coordinating private and commercial laws among states and groups of states, as well as formulating uniform laws to achieve these goals.