As the Sixth Committee (Legal) commenced its debate on the scope and application of the principle of universal jurisdiction, delegates deliberated on how the principle should be engaged, both nationally and internationally, and under what conditions were necessary when activating national judiciaries.
The thorny nature of developing new international law amongst diverging State views again came to the fore in the Sixth Committee (Legal) today, as delegates concluded their debate on the future of the International Law Commission’s draft articles on crimes against humanity.
As the Sixth Committee (Legal) commenced its consideration of crimes against humanity, speakers argued over the need to elaborate a convention based on the International Law Commission’s draft articles, with some pointing to three years of stalled progress, calling for an ad hoc committee that could facilitate a constructive exchange on the matter.
Underscoring the need to uphold the rule of law when introducing measures to respond to global emergencies or incorporating new technology into justice systems, speakers warned of the potential to erode human rights and fundamental freedoms, as the Sixth Committee continued its debate on the rule of law at the national and international levels today.
Speakers underscored the importance of international cooperation in ensuring criminal accountability of United Nations officials and experts on mission, while also highlighting pre-deployment training and the role of women peacekeepers in preventing acts of sexual exploitation and abuse, as the Sixth Committee took up the Secretary-General’s reports on the matter.
The Sixth Committee (Legal) concluded its debate on measures to eliminate international terrorism today, as delegates offered suggestions and reported successes in combating a phenomenon that is both evolving in complexity and exacerbated by current global crises.
As the Sixth Committee (Legal) met to approve its work programme for the seventy-seventh session and began its consideration of the Secretary-General report on measures to eliminate international terrorism, delegates called for a draft comprehensive convention to be concluded and the resolving of outstanding issues regarding the definition of terrorism.
The Sixth Committee (Legal) elected Pedro Comissário Afonso (Mozambique) Chair on 7 June.
Acting on the recommendations of its Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) and Sixth Committee (Legal), the General Assembly today adopted a total of 51 resolutions and 13 decisions on items ranging from decolonization to the power, study and dissemination of international law.
Concluding its seventy-sixth session today, the Sixth Committee (Legal) upheld its tradition of consensus and approved without a vote 15 draft resolutions, along with a draft decision and a draft letter, marking the end of 29 socially distanced meetings over which members met — together but apart — to consider the evolving face of international law in a world still in the grips of the COVID‑19 pandemic.
