Committee on Charter

 and United Nations Role

266^th & 267^th Meetings* (AM & PM)

Committee on United Nations Charter Concludes 2012 Session, Adopts Report

 

with Recommendations on Manila Declaration, Repertory of Practice

 

Adopting its 2012 draft report, the Special Committee charged with examining suggestions and proposals regarding the Charter of the United Nations and strengthening the world body’s role in promoting international law concluded its regular session today, forwarding its recommendations to the General Assembly.

By a consensus draft resolution, the Special Committee would have the Assembly acknowledge 15 November 2012 as the thirtieth anniversary of the Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes, and reiterate its call on all States “to promote and observe in good faith” that accord when resolving their differences.

[The 1982 Manila Declaration, the first accord adopted by the Assembly as a result of the Special Committee’s work, reaffirms the need to exert utmost efforts to settle any conflicts and disputes between States exclusively by peaceful means and to avoid any military action and hostilities, which can only make resolving them more difficult.]

By a set of approved draft recommendations, the Special Committee would have the Assembly reiterate the Secretary-General’s responsibility for the quality of the Repertory of Practice of United Nations Organs and the Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council.  With regard to the Repertoire, the Assembly would call on the Secretary-General to continue to follow the modalities first outlined in 1952.

[The Repertory is a legal publication which analyses the decisions of United Nations principal organs under each of the Articles of the United Nations Charter.  The Repertoire is a constitutional and procedural guide to the proceedings of the Security Council since 1946.]

Rapporteur Juan Manuel Sánchez Contreras (Mexico), presented the draft report and, according to the Committee’s tradition, led delegations through a paragraph-by-paragraph reading of its contents.  The six-chapter report (document A/AC.182/2012/CRP.1 thru 10) covered the work of the body’s session, which began at Headquarters on 21 February.  Adopted as orally amended following protracted negotiations, it highlighted, among others, the proposals submitted by delegations regarding such items on the Special Committee’s agenda as “strengthening the role of the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security”.

Technical corrections and amendments were approved throughout the read-through, chiefly regarding the tenor and substance of the Special Committee’s discussions on “certain principles concerning the impact and application of sanctions” and “peaceful settlement of disputes.”  Several delegations and regional groups pressed for changes aimed at ensuring the discussions and consultations would be accurately reflected.  Compromise language was proposed to break deadlocks over the wording of several passages, including one on the possibility of the Special Committee’s consideration of the question of the Security Council’s referrals of situations to the International Criminal Court.  The Special Committee also decided to delete Chapter II of the report.

The Chair of the Special Committee, Garen Nazarian (Armenia), thanked all delegations for their hard work and the spirit of compromise shown during negotiations.

The Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization was established in 1975 to examine proposals to bolster the world body’s role in maintaining peace and security, to advance cooperation among nations and to promote international law.

The Special Committee will reconvene at a date and time to be announced.

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*     The 265^th Meetings was not covered.

For information media • not an official record