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NRD Companies has been closely involved in the development of the Draft Guide on Best Practices in the Field of Electronic Registry Design and Operation, which has now been launched for the consultation.
The Draft Guide has been prepared by the Experts’ Group of the Best Practices in the Field of Electronic Registry Design and Operation Project (BPER Project), conducted under the auspices of the Cape Town Convention Academic Project (CTCAP) – a joint initiative of the University of Cambridge and the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT), with the Aviation Working Group as founding sponsor.
Represented in the working group by our Head of Registry Practice, Ieva Tarailienė, we have contributed expertise throughout the process – from earlier workshops to the consultation launch, bringing real-world experience from registry modernization worldwide.
Why This Consultation Matters
Business registries are the quiet infrastructure of trust. They establish legal personality, secure corporate identity, and provide trusted information for markets, regulators, and the public. As registries move online, their role expands. Registries are now expected to:
- Guard against fraud and error
- Ensure accuracy and integrity of data
- Support interoperability across borders
- Remain accessible and user-friendly while legally robust
Meeting these demands requires more than technology upgrades. It calls for a clear, shared framework to define what “best practice” really means in registry design and operation.
What’s Inside the Draft Guide
The Draft Guide answers this need by introducing 24 Critical Performance Factors (CPFs) – practical, technology-neutral benchmarks that any registry can apply. These cover:
- Core safeguards: security, resilience, governance, and risk management
- Data quality: error detection, input validation, auditability
- Connectivity: interoperability between registries, agencies, and jurisdictions
- User focus: transparency, accessibility, and inclusive design
Each CPF is mapped to international standards such as ISO and NIST, and explained with real-world examples – from spotting implausible entries (like a seven-year-old “director”) to ensuring cross-border data exchange that is both technically and legally valid.
Key Debates Shaping the Future
Not all questions have straightforward answers. Experts and registry leaders wrestled with the question of how much business registry data should be made publicly accessible. While everyone agrees that registries must provide reliable information, approaches differ widely across jurisdictions, and what should be shared, with whom, and under what safeguards remains a live debate.
Interoperability also emerged as a central theme. The discussions went beyond technical connections or APIs to the harder challenge of aligning legal definitions and frameworks, so that registries, regulators, and even cross-border authorities can trust and reuse each other’s data.
When asked to identify one of the top priorities among CPFs, NRD Companies’ Head of Registry Practice, Ieva Tarailienė, highlighted interoperability as a particularly critical factor: “A registry on its own is important, but when it connects seamlessly with other registries, authorities, or financial systems across borders, it becomes a true enabler of trust and economic growth.” This perspective underscores why the project’s outcomes are so relevant for registry modernization efforts worldwide.
Take Part in the Consultation
The Draft Guide on Best Practices for Electronic Business Registries is now open for feedback. Registry leaders, policymakers, and practitioners worldwide are invited to contribute to shaping the final version.
- Share with your counterparts
- Collect and consolidate your insights
- Reach out to UNIDROIT at ctcap@unidroit.org for access to submit your feedback
- Share your feedback by 1 November 2025
Final Takeaway
This consultation is an opportunity to help define a shared global standard for registry performance. By applying the Draft Guide’s recommendations, registries can move beyond administrative record-keeping to become trusted enablers of compliance, transparency, and economic growth.
