Programme of Assistance Indispensable in Promoting Strong International Cooperation, Sixth Committee Speakers Declare, Urging Expanded Funding
The United Nations’ efforts to train individuals the world over in international law — the shared foundation on which Member States address global issues — is indispensable, speakers stressed, as the Sixth Committee (Legal) today discussed the Programme of Assistance in the Teaching, Study, Dissemination and Wider Appreciation of International Law, before taking up the Secretary-General’s report on the protection of diplomatic and consular missions and representatives.
Programme of Assistance in the Teaching, Study, Dissemination and Wider Appreciation of International Law
Opening the debate, Harold Adlai Agyeman (Ghana), Chair of the Programme’s Advisory Committee at its fifty-ninth session, emphasized that continuing legal education is imperative as “the headwinds of unilateralism threaten to dismantle the established norms and values that have held together our international order over the past 79 years”. The Programme enhances the legal capacities of national experts and, more so, strengthens States’ collective commitments to peace and development. As such, the Programme “continues to enjoy the overwhelming support of all members of the Committee”, he reported.
Markus Pallek, Secretary of the Advisory Committee, underlined the Office of Legal Affairs’ “continuous commitment” to implementing all mandated Programme activities. While international-law training continued amidst “record-breaking” demand, he noted: “This, however, does not mean that the liquidity crisis did not have an impact on the work of the Programme.” Nevertheless, 76 of the 87 participants who attended training programmes received scholarships covering all their expenses, overall gender parity was ensured among participants and gender balance and geographic diversity was maintained among lecturers.
There was also an “all-time high” of 1,404 applications processed for the 2024 training courses and the Audiovisual Library of International Law — which “offers free, quality online training to an unlimited number of people throughout the world” — was consulted by close to 3.4 million users during the reporting period, he reported. However, the liquidity crisis had a serious impact on the Library, and no conferences were recorded during that time. While welcoming that the General Assembly includes the Programme in the regular budget, he stressed that “voluntary contributions remain essential”.
Alice Hicuburundi, Principal Legal Officer in the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, also updated the Committee on the implementation of the Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe Memorial Fellowship on the Law of the Sea. Here, too, demand has grown substantially, and she stressed that — “given the significance of capacity-building in ocean affairs and the law of the sea” — awards such as this one must be implemented “continuously and consistently”. “This implies that the necessary funding is made available,” she pointed out.
As almost 50 speakers took the floor, many called for more funding for the Programme to meet increasing demand. Among them was the representative of Uganda, speaking for the African Group, who stressed that the Regional Courses in International Law constitute the “primary source of international-law training for many diplomats and Government legal advisors from developing countries — particularly those from the 33 of the 46 least-developed countries that are in Africa”. However, he expressed concern that the Regional Course for Africa was conducted for less than four weeks in 2023 and 2024.
Recalling that Chile has hosted a Regional Course since 2017, that country’s representative noted that, due to the liquidity crisis, this course was also shorter than usual. The representative of Thailand — which hosts another Regional Course — called for adequate resources to be allocated for the continued, effective implementation of the Programme despite the current liquidity situation. However, the representative of Ethiopia — host of the Regional Course for Africa since 2011 — underscored that the liquidity crisis should not hinder “our drive to expand the dissemination and training of international law”.
Noting that his country participated in the Regional Course for Africa as well as the International Law Fellowship Programme, Togo’s representative said that the high number of candidates — most from Africa — demonstrates the real need for international-law training in Africa. However, out of 461 African candidates, only 5 were chosen to be among 21 fellowship recipients. “These figures are striking,” he observed, urging measures to address this issue.
Similarly, the representative of Saudi Arabia pointed out that there was only one participant from the Arab States in the 2023 Regional Course for Asia-Pacific. Urging the Codification Division of the Office of Legal Affairs to encourage more candidates from the Arab world to apply — and to accept their applications in the coming years — he emphasized: “This will develop Arab skills in the area of international law.” Lebanon’s representative, speaking for the Arab Group, encouraged the Division to increase the geographic diversity of its lecturers by involving more professors and experts from Arab universities.
The representative of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, meanwhile, called for an increase in the number of fellowships granted, particularly for small and least-developed countries. Haiti’s representative concurred, emphasizing that more attention should be paid to small island developing States and highlighting the importance of cultural cooperation demonstrated by granting scholarships and fellowships. The representative of Equatorial Guinea, building on that, said that the ongoing training of legal experts from developing countries can promote the progressive development of international law.
Sudan’s representative, similarly, said that the Regional Courses provide high-level training and, through their interactive nature, enable participants to exchange ideas and expertise that fosters understanding and agreement on regional legal matters. The representative of Mali also pointed out that the Programme fosters cooperation and good relations among countries, in addition to promoting peace and international security. Adding to that, Senegal’s delegate stated: “Now, more than ever, we must not neglect any effort to promote and disseminate international law on all continents in all the official UN languages and through all means.”
Better knowledge of international law can assist in pursuing UN principles and purposes, Ireland’s representative said, underscoring that the Programme is “a core function of the United Nations”. Speaking for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the representative of the Philippines emphasized that it plays a key role in promoting the rule of law at both the national and international levels, “which contributes to the strengthening of international peace and security”. The representative of the United Kingdom agreed, detailing London’s voluntary contributions to the Programme.
Since its establishment in 1965, the Programme “has broadly contributed to a better understanding of international law as a means of strengthening international peace and security”, noted Burkina Faso’s representative as he urged more States to provide more financing to ensure that the Programme “lasts and expands”. As well, Zambia’s representative stressed: “The Programme levels the playing field and enables participants from developing countries to participate effectively in the development of international law and multilateralism.”
“Jamaica, since the day of its independence, has advocated for a multilateral system that is equitable, democratic, effective and principled,” recalled that country’s representative. International law helps to create and strengthen the framework through which States practice that multilateralism, establishing an equitable platform for collective action on issues of global concern. “Through international law, we engage in dialogue and build understanding,” he noted, stressing: “This is the heart of multilateralism.” He added: “The importance of the Programme of Assistance — particularly for developing States — cannot be emphasized enough.”
Consideration of effective measures to enhance the protection, security and safety of diplomatic and consular missions and representatives
After concluding its debate on the Programme of Assistance, the Committee turned to its agenda item on diplomatic protection, with more than 30 speakers discussing the Secretary-General’s report on the matter (document A/79/496).
“Diplomacy is the cornerstone for strengthening cooperation among countries,” stressed the representative of Iraq. When a State commits to international instruments governing the protection of diplomatic missions, this reflects a commitment to avoid anything that could corrode relations between countries. Iraq has spared no effort to protect against any attacks on foreign missions, he said, adding: “Missions are a symbol of smooth governance of international relations.” Any afront to such premises violates international law.
Iran’s representative, meanwhile, pointed to Israel “deliberately targeting Iranian diplomatic representatives and missions”. On 1 April 2024, Israeli air strikes hit Iran’s diplomatic premises in Damascus, resulting in the death of at least seven personnel and destroying the premises in question. Additionally, on 17 September 2024, Israel detonated handheld communication devices in Beirut that injured, among others, Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon. “These types of crimes are of grave concern to the international community as a whole,” he underscored.
The representative of Venezuela, speaking for the Group of Friends in Defence of the Charter of the United Nations, also condemned those attacks. Stressing the importance of full compliance with the norms of international law and legally binding commitments in this area, he pointed out that this includes “cases where diplomatic relations have been broken”. He also expressed concern over “the illegal seizure and retention, in this very country, of diplomatic premises belonging to members of our Group of Friends”.
Calling on all host Governments to take all appropriate steps to protect diplomatic and consular premises against any intrusion or damage, the United States’ representative said that her country “takes its obligations in this regard very seriously”. Any steps necessary and appropriate to protect a mission will depend on the potential threats thereto. Welcoming “any threat information that our international partners can share”, she noted that, while security incidents may still occur despite a host States’ best efforts, it is important that they “respond promptly and robustly in such cases”.
Threats or attacks against diplomatic and consular missions and representatives are “unacceptable”, stressed the representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer. In today’s increasingly fragmented world of growing conflict and rising geopolitical tension, the importance of diplomacy cannot be overstated. It is a fundamental tool for both preserving and promoting peace and stability and maintaining relations and open channels of communication “even — or rather, especially, during conflicts”, he said, declaring: “This tool must be defended and promoted by all of us at all times.”
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