1URDG758TheURDG758aretheUniformRulesforDemandGuarantees-effective01July2010.ForewordThisrevisionofICC'sUniformRulesforDemandGuarantees(URDG)isthefirstsincetherulesweredevelopedbyICCin1991.Theoriginalrules,URDG458,gainedbroadinternationalacceptanceinrecentyearsfollowingtheirincorporationbytheWorldBankinitsguaranteeformsandtheirendorsementbyUNCITRALandleadingindustryassociations,suchasFIDIC.Thisfirstrevisionoftheruleswasmeticulouslypreparedoveraperiodoftwoandahalfyears,andistheresultofacollectiveeffortbyanumberofICCconstituentgroups.ItwasdevelopedasajointprojectbytwoICCcommissions-theBankingCommissionandtheCommissiononCommercialLawandPractice-thereforetakingintoaccountthelegitimateexpectationsofallrelevantsectors.ICCnationalcommitteescontributedsubstantiallytothefinalproduct:some52nationalcommitteessubmittedseveralhundredpagesofvaluablesuggestionsonsuccessivedrafts,anumberofwhichwereincorporatedintothefinaltext.TheICCTaskForceonGuarantees,whichconsistedof40membersfrom26countries,reviewedthevariousdraftsandaddedtheirownsuggestions.TheURDGDraftingGroup,ablychairedbyDrGeorgesAffaki,metonanumberofoccasions,carefullyreviewedallcommentssubmittedbynationalcommitteesandtheTaskForceanddevelopedthefinaldraft.Thiscollectiveefforthasbornefruit;ithasproducedrulesthatreflectabroadconsensusamongbankers,usersandallmembersoftheguaranteecommunity.Infact,thepresentrevisionoftheURDGdoesnotmerelyupdatetheexistingrules.Itistheresultofanambitiousprojecttocreateanewsetofrulesforthetwenty-firstcenturythatisclearer,morepreciseandmorecomprehensive.Assuch,URDG758isdestinedtobecomethestandardtextfordemandguaranteesworldwide.JeanRozwadowskiSecretaryGeneralInternationalChamberofCommerceJanuary20102IntroductionThenewURDG758succeedURDG458.Over17yearsofpractice(1992-2009),URDG458provedtobebothsuccessfulandreliable.Theywereusedbybanksandbusinessesacrosscontinentsandindustrysectors.URDG458wereendorsedbyinternationalorganizations,multilateralfinancialinstitutions,bankregulators,lawmakersandprofessionalfederations.IncontrasttothefailedUniformRulesforContractGuarantees(URCG325),URDG458reflectedtherealityoftheinternationaldemandguaranteemarketandstruckthemostreasonablebalancebetweentheinterestsofallthepartiesinvolved.BychoosingtoinstructaguarantortoissueademandguaranteesubjecttoURDG,applicantsrenouncedtheirabilitytoobstructpaymentforreasonsderivedfromtheirrelationshipwiththebeneficiary.Inturn,beneficiarieswereexpectedtostateingeneralterms-butnottojustify,establishorprove-thenatureoftheapplicant'sbreachintheperformanceoftheunderlyingrelationship.Finally,becauseademandguaranteeisanindependentundertaking,guarantorswereassuredthattheircommitmentwassubjecttoitsownterms.Theywereinsulatedfromtheperformancecontingenciesoftheunderlyingrelationship.Theirincrementaluse,backedbythesupportofICC,enabledURDG458tomakeacriticalcontributiontowardslevellingtheplayingfieldamongdemandguaranteeissuersandusersregardlessofthelegal,economicorsocialsysteminwhichtheyoperate.Yet,URDG458formedthefirstattemptbyICCtocodifyindependentguaranteepractice.Overtheyears,theapplicationoftheirprovisionsshedlightontheneedfordraftingadjustments,clarifications,expansionofscopeorclearcorrectionsoftheadoptedstandard.ViewsreportedtotheICCTaskForceonGuaranteesfromURDGusersworldwideprovidedthenecessarymaterialtolauncharevisionofURDG458thatboththelapseoftimeandtheevolutionofpracticemadenecessary.Therevisionwaslaunchedin2007andwasconductedundertheaegisofboththeICCBankingCommissionandtheCommissiononCommercialLawandPractice(CLP).TheICCTaskForceonGuarantees,thestandingexpertbodycreatedbyICCin2003tomonitorinternationalguaranteepractice,actedasaconsultativebodytoaDraftingGroupthatproducedfivecomprehensivedraftsduringthetwoandahalfyearrevisionprocess.EachdraftwassubmittedforreviewandcommentstoICCnationalcommittees.Over600setsofcommentswerereceivedfromatotalof52countriesandwerethoroughlyexamined.Thesecommentswereinstrumentalinshapingthenewrules.RegularprogressreportswerepresentedtomeetingsofeachoftheICCcommissionsconsideringtherulesandwerecomprehensivelydebated.Thismethodensuredthattherevisiontakesintoaccountviewsreceivedfromabroadcross-sectorofconcernedparties.TheresultingURDG758wereadoptedbytheICCExecutiveBoardon3December2009,followingendorsementbythemembersofthetwosponsoringcommissions.TheywillcomeintoforceonJuly1,2010.Thenewrulesapplytoanydemandguaranteeorcounter-guaranteewhereincorporatedbyreferenceinthetext.Theycanalsoapplyastradeusageorbyimplicationfromaconsistentcourseofdealingbetweenthepartiestothedemandguaranteeorcounter-guaranteewheresoprovidedbytheapplicablelaw.ThenewURDG758donotmerelyupdateURDG458;theyaretheresultofanambitiousprocessthatseekstobringanewsetofrulesfordemandguaranteesintothe21stcentury,rulesthatareclearer,morepreciseandmorecomprehensive.3ClearerURDG.ThenewURDG758aimforclarity.TheyadoptthedraftingstyleofICC'suniversallyacceptedUniformRulesforDocumentaryCredits(UCP600)bybringingtogetherthedefinitionsoftermsinonearticle.Theyalsobringamuchneededclarificationoftheprocessaccordingtow