Sixth Committee

The Sixth Committee 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.

Acting without a vote, the Sixth Committee (Legal) today approved a resolution to grant observer status in the work of the General Assembly for the 25‑member Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, while also deciding to request that the General Assembly consider how best the Council of Presidents of the General Assembly could contribute its unique expertise to the Organization’s work once a resolution on recommending observer status for the group was withdrawn.

At the request of the General Committee, the Sixth Committee (Legal) today reopened its current session to hold a debate on the criteria for observer status in the work of the General Assembly, in consideration of requests for such a recommendation for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean and the Council of Presidents of the General Assembly, with debate also centring on the procedural requirements implied by the late allocation of the items.

Acting without a vote, the Sixth Committee (Legal) today approved 10 draft resolutions and three decisions, as it wound up its main body of work for the current Assembly session by giving consideration to the report of the Committee on Relations with the Host Country.

The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea was enhancing its own visibility and that of its dispute-settlement system, in anticipation of an increased need as exploitation of marine resources advanced, the Tribunal President told the Sixth Committee as today, at a meeting at which Programme of Assistance in the Teaching, Study, Dissemination and Wider Appreciation of International Law was also taken up by the Committee.

As the Sixth Committee today concluded its current consideration of the report of the International Law Commission, the representative of Trinidad and Tobago called for a study of State practice to determine whether the obligation to extradite or prosecute was a requirement from which there was no derogation, which he said would be a step towards combating impunity for crimes.

The Sixth Committee today continued its consideration of the report of the International Law Commission by turning to the new topics of “obligation to extradite or prosecute”, “most-favoured-nations clause”, and “treaties over time”, while completing its debate on the last cluster.

As consideration of the International Law Commission’s report continued in the Sixth Committee today, the Committee also heard an address from the President of the International Court of Justice, which was followed by an interactive dialogue with Committee members.

The Sixth Committee (Legal) today continued its consideration of the report of the International Law Commission report by taking up two new topics, on reservations to treaties and expulsion of aliens, while also hearing the introduction of a draft resolution on criminal accountability of United Nations officials and experts on mission.

As the Sixth Committee today continued its consideration of the report of the International Law Commission, with a focus on responsibility of international organizations and other matters, Japan’s representative called on the Commission to take up some aspect of international environmental law so as to carry out its main task of elaborating draft articles towards conventions and to fully engage with the crucial needs of the present-day international community.