This module forms the grounding of the International Commercial and Business Law and International Trade Law courses, and aims to introduce students to the essential foundational elements of international commercial law, not studied at undergraduate level. It aims to give students an understanding of what drives the law governing international commerce, the reasons for harmonisation of the law in the area, the institutions involved in the harmonisation process and the scope of that process. We examine the various ways in which harmonised instruments are created and the major problems and policy issues which have to be confronted. In doing so, we explore several areas of international commercial practice in which attempts have been made to harmonise or codify the law, and consider how successful these efforts have been, and ways in which the harmonisation process can be improved.