Sixty-fifth General Assembly

Sixth Committee

1^st Meeting (AM)

Legal Committee, Adopting Work Programme, Sets Early Dates to Discuss

 

Justice System at United Nations, Anti-Terrorism Measures

 

The Sixth Committee (Legal) today adopted its programme of work, as orally amended, and decided to take up the item of Administration of Justice at the United Nations on the afternoon of Wednesday, 6 October, in order to give delegations time to informally discuss the issues and reports.

In her statement welcoming delegates to the Committee’s first meeting, the Chairperson, Isabelle Picco of Monaco, said the international legal issues addressed in the Committee were crucial to international relations, and to the promotion of the rule of law.  Noting that laws and rules were developed to meet the needs of each Nation’s society, she stressed the need to secure a fair framework that would ensure the work of the Committee contributed to the values of the world.  “Law and justice is one of the very foundations of our contract,” she said.

Turning to the organization of the Bureau, she introduced the Vice-Presidents who had been elected in June.  They were Reta Alemu Nega of Ethiopia; Chull-Joo Park of the Republic of Korea; and Eva Šurkova of Slovakia.  Committee Rapporteur Glenna Cabello de Daboin of Venezuela was elected today. 

The Committee then paid respect and held a moment of silence for the late Israeli jurist Shabtai Rosenne, who had been renowned for his work in international law and who had recently died at the age of 93.  The representative of Israel expressed gratitude for the acknowledgement and spoke of her country’s deep respect for his work in the international field.

The Committee then took up its programme of work (document A/C.6./65/1) which stated that 18 items had been allocated to the Committee for its consideration.  Working groups were established for four items, and oral amendments were made to the work programme (A/C.6/65/L.1), which was adopted as orally amended.

With regard to the item on Administration of Justice at the United Nations, it was announced that Kate O’Regan, President of the Board of Internal Justice, would brief the Committee informally on 7 October.  Further on that item, it was also recalled that it was under consideration by the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary).  Among the aspects under the Legal Committee’s consideration were a code of conduct for judges; the categories of personnel to have access to the mechanism; the role of the bureau; unresolved elements in the statute; and the hierarchy of the recourse procedure.

Further, it was noted that the Committee’s work during the current session would focus on unresolved legal issues.  Those included the acceleration of the legal procedures involved at the local, regional and national levels; establishing the mechanism as a permanent internal organ; establishing a simplified mechanism for non-staff; and extending access for non-staff.

On the Committee’s work in general during the current session, the Chair requested flexibility from delegations and said that when debate on an item was complete, members should be prepared to begin the next agenda item.  Also, when the Committee was not in session, the time should be utilized for completing work on resolutions and other items that would smooth the Committee’s work. 

As usual, she said, the Committee would take up resolutions as they became available.  However, resolutions that contained a financial component and needed to be considered by the Administrative Committee would need to be submitted by 31 October.  Priority in speaking on items would be given to representatives of regional groups and groups of States.  The proceedings of the Committee’s meetings were made available in both French and English within two hours of meetings by Press Officers in the Department of Information.

Finally, it was announced that the Administration of Justice meeting would take place at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, 6 October, following informal briefings by the Secretariat on relevant documentation.  The meeting was then adjourned.

The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. Tuesday, 5 October, when the item on measures to eliminate terrorism is to be taken up.

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For information media • not an official record