The celebrations took place from 25–27 September 2021, with Monday, 27 September 2021 being dedicated to speeches and reflections on the past 100 UNIDROIT Governing Council sessions. Participants gathered at Oratorio of San Filippo Neri in Bologna, at the celebrations which were opened by UNIDROIT President, Prof Maria Chiara Malaguti, with UNIDROIT’s Secretary-General Prof Ignacio Tirado giving those present an overview on ‘One Hundred Sessions’ of UNIDROIT’s Governing Council. Among other speakers were newly elected member of ELI’s Executive Committee, Prof Bénédicte Fauvarque-Cosson (Judge at the Conseil d'Etat in Paris), who conducted a dialogue with Prof Michael Joachim Bonell – Chair of the UNIDROIT Restatement of International Contract Law Working Group. Other topics of focus included food security and the protection of cultural property.

In his brief statement to those present, Prof Dr Pascal Pichonnaz wished UNIDROIT the very best as it looks beyond a centenary of Governing Council sessions. While reflecting on the fact that ELI had recently celebrated its decennial, he underlined how particularly proud ELI is to have been able to collaborate with UNIDROIT since 2014 to produce the extremely impressive Model European Rules of Civil Procedure. It is a source of great joy that the Model Rules were published by Oxford University Press on the occasion of the 100th session celebrations. This is undoubtedly a very positive omen for a future joint and hopefully more intensive collaboration between UNIDROIT and ELI.

He also thanked UNIDROIT for its splendid hospitality, which among other highlights, included a visit of the Reale Collegio di Spagna (1364), and its world-famous library.