Legal

As the Sixth Committee began its consideration of measures to eliminate international terrorism, delegates once again called for flexibility and political will towards agreeing on a definition of that act, so that consensus could be reached towards a comprehensive convention.

Although agreement on a counter-terrorism convention still eluded delegates, their decision to meet again and continue discussions on outstanding issues offered hope for the future, said the Chair of the General Assembly’s Ad Hoc Committee on the issue today as he closed its week-long sixteenth session.

The time was “propitious” for the General Assembly committee charged with negotiating a comprehensive anti-terrorism convention to take the necessary decisions, especially on the outstanding issues that had — for years — hampered substantive progress on such an instrument, said its long-time Chairman, as he opened the sixteenth session today.

Adopting its 2013 draft report, the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on Strengthening the Role of the Organization concluded its regular session today, forwarding its recommendations to the General Assembly.

In a brief plenary meeting today, the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization elected Marcel Van den Bogaard ( Netherlands), from the Western European States Group, as Vice-President of its 2013 session, concluding the election of its bureau members.

The Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization lacked the political will to review the proposals for bolstering the world body’s role in maintaining peace and security, thereby jeopardizing its ability to carry out its mandate, several delegates said today, as it moved into day two of the annual session.

The Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization opened its 2013 session today, as delegates wrestled with ways to improve its efficiency and productivity, including by re-evaluating which Government proposals for organizational reform it should — and should not — consider.

Upholding its tradition of consensus, the Sixth (Legal) Committee concluded its current session by approving one request for observer status by the European Organization for Nuclear Research and 11 draft resolutions, including the text on the revitalization of the General Assembly.

Despite the recent hurricane that had shut down the United Nations’ Headquarters for three consecutive days, Sixth Committee (Legal) delegates noted the successful finalization of work on almost a dozen draft resolutions, as well as the thorough consideration of two topics within their working groups.

During the Sixth Committee’s (Legal) final debate on the International Law Commission’s annual report, delegates urged the Geneva-based body to diligently study State practice and, where possible, arrive at international rules of customary law to rectify the divergent views on several pressing issues before the Commission.