Or contract. The Spanish is just overblown. It suggests something like "meeting of the minds", but I'd keep it simple.

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Note added at 2002-08-03 13:44:58 (GMT)
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Seems I\'ve stirred up, or participated in stirring up, a bit of controversy on this one. That\'s a good thing. So here\'s a bit more fuel for the fire.

In standard contract theory and analysis, a \"meeting of the minds\" is not a contract. Rather, it is one of the elements essential to the formation of a contract. So translating \"acuerdo de voluntades\" as \"meeting of the minds\" (perhaps the most literal translation) doesn\'t make sense in this context.

\"Memorandum of understanding\" is closer. But the text doesn\'t say this is a memorandum. The later reference to \"memorandum\" doesn\'t describe the nature of the arrangement. Rather, it provides for the form in which certain steps in its performance will be instrumented. Indeed, the appearance of the word \"memorandum\" suggests that the author well knew what a memorandum is, and chose not to use the term when naming the arrangement. Thus, \"memorandum of understanding\" doesn\'t make sense in context.

\"Voluntary agreement\" also doesn\'t make sense. All enforceable agreements are voluntary. If you hold a gun to my head and make me sign a document transferring my house to you in consideration for your undertaking to make deferred payment, the result may be a piece of paper that looks like a contract, but it is deficient because it lacks one of the essential elements for formation of a contract--voluntad.

It is in this sense that I said originally that the Spanish is overblown. \"De voluntades\" is superfluous in context. We\'re left with just \"acuerdo\"--agreement or contract.

Perhaps the most important notion here is that calling an agreement an agreement in principle, or a memorandum of understanding, or a preliminary agreement, or anything else doesn\'t make it anything less than a contract. It is an agreement binding the parties to do whatever they agree to in the document.

In my practice I often advised clients not to touch a memorandum of understanding with a ten foot pole. Not because such an agreement isn\'t binding, but because there is such a common perception that it isn\'t. The problem is that memoranda of understanding typically bind one not to sell, or to render services, etc., but rather to negotiate to conclude ANOTHER agreement. Whether one has properly performed such an obligation to negotiate is not a trivial inquiry, turning as it does on slippery concepts like good faith, etc. Much better to use something like a standstill agreement providing that one won\'t take certain actions or negotiate with anyone else for a period of time. Calling it that doesn\'t change the fact that it\'s an agreement, pure and simple, but does at least tend to focus the parties on what it is they\'re really up to.

Odd though it may sound Beatriz, I get this same translation from 2 different reliable dictionaries---the Cabanellas-Hoague and the Orellana.

Luck!
terry

Willingness agreement doesn't sound right. Is it a voluntary agreement - one that both sides enter into without any tight restrictions?

I believe that Ms. Jane Lamb Ruiz has the correct answer.

I have looked at a number of net documents in Spanish and English respectively -- and it seems to me that in Spanish the phrase "acuerdo de voluntades" can be used in at least three related ways: (1) treaty (2) high level institutional agreement (3) contract -- and that the latter sense (3) is relatively rare.

Because the text here specifically uses the word "memorandum" then the most appropriate translation would be "memorandum of understanding" which, in English covers the first two meaings.

At the risk of being very boring, here is a sample of the raw data (5 examples in Spanish followed by 5 in English):-

El contrato internacional es un acuerdo de voluntades entre dos o más personas físicas o morales domiciliadas en diferentes países, mediante el cual se ... (http://www.bancomext.com/Bancomext/aplicaciones/Guiaexp/docu...}

... por la Secretaría Distrital de Salud, en el entendido que de ésta manera quedó trabado, conforme las normas civiles y comerciales, el acuerdo de voluntades. ...
(http://www.fedesoft.org/servafiliados/acuerdo_137.htm)

TRATADOS QUE CHILE MANTIENE CON DISTINTOS PAISES. INTRODUCCION. Un tratado es un Acuerdo de Voluntades que un país puede suscribir con otro, en este caso sería ...
(http://www.mintrab.gob.cl/interiores/relaciones_internac_03.... )

... En el derecho español, por tanto, para la transmisión de la propiedad en una compraventa se exige: 1) el acuerdo de voluntades (contrato); y 2) la entrega de ... (http://es.biz.yahoo.com/taxes/faq/consultas52.html )

... obligación adquirida por Publicar SA, de permitir que el usuario de la línea telefónica apareciera en el Directorio Telefónico, es un acuerdo de voluntades ... (http://www.sic.gov.co/Tramites/Conceptos/Concepto00011602.ht... )

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE US DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND INTERNET CORPORATION FOR ASSIGNED NAMES AND NUMBERS. I. PARTIES. ...
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/domainname/icann-memorandum... (Search within this site)

... Committee (IAHC) is the task force that developed this private-sector framework. Generic Top Level Domain Memorandum of Understanding ...
http://www.gtld-mou.org/ (Search within this site)

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AND UNIVERSITY COUNCIL - AMERICAN FEDERATION
OF TEACHERS PROFESSIONAL LIBRARIAN UNIT MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ...
http://www.ucop.edu/humres/contracts/lib/ (Search within this site)

... MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING AMONG THE ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE US DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION US ...
http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/finalmou.htm

SPECIAL: Inspecting Iraq. Memorandum of Understanding between the United Nations and the Republic of Iraq. ...
http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9802/23/un.iraq.agreement/

sounds like materia (informacion confidencial) is the subject upon which they all agree shal be transmited thru a memorandum.