Sixth Committee (Legal) — 72nd session
United Nations Programme of Assistance in the Teaching, Study, Dissemination and Wider Appreciation of International Law (Agenda item 80)
- Authority: resolution 71/139
Documentation
Summary of work
Background (source: A/72/100)
The United Nations Programme of Assistance in the Teaching, Study, Dissemination and Wider Appreciation of International Law was established by the General Assembly at its twentieth session, in 1965 (resolution 2099 (XX)), to contribute towards a better knowledge of international law as a means of strengthening international peace and security and of promoting friendly relations and cooperation among States. The Assembly authorized the continuation of the Programme annually until its twenty-sixth session, biennially until its sixty-fourth session and annually thereafter (resolutions 2204 (XXI), 2313 (XXII), 2464 (XXIII), 2550 (XXIV), 2698 (XXV), 2838 (XXVI), 3106 (XXVIII), 3502 (XXX), 32/146, 34/144, 36/108, 38/129, 40/66, 42/148, 44/28, 46/50, 48/29, 50/43, 52/152, 54/102, 56/77, 58/73, 60/19, 62/62, 64/113, 65/25, 66/97, 67/91, 68/110, 69/117, 70/116 and 71/139).
In the performance of the functions entrusted to him by the General Assembly, the Secretary-General is assisted by the Advisory Committee on the United Nations Programme of Assistance in the Teaching, Study, Dissemination and Wider Appreciation of International Law, the members of which are appointed by the Assembly.
At its seventy-first session, the General Assembly noted with satisfaction that resources had been provided under the programme budget for the organization of the United Nations Regional Courses in International Law on an annual basis and the further development of the United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law. The Assembly authorized the Secretary-General to carry out the activities specified in his reports on this item and to award additional fellowships for the training courses from available resources under the programme budget and from voluntary contributions. It also authorized the Secretary-General to award a minimum of one scholarship in 2017 under the Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe Memorial Fellowship on the Law of the Sea, taking note of paragraph 8 of resolution 69/117 and paragraph 4 of resolution 70/116. The Assembly requested the Secretary-General to continue to include resources under the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2018–2019 for the International Law Fellowship Programme, the United Nations Regional Courses in International Law for Africa, for Asia-Pacific and for Latin America and the Caribbean each year and for the continuation and further development of the United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law. It reiterated its appreciation for the efforts that were undertaken by the Office of Legal Affairs to bring up to date the United Nations legal publications, in particular the desktop publishing initiative undertaken by the Codification Division from 2003 to 2013, and its recommendation that the necessary resources be made available to resume this successful initiative; and expressed its appreciation for the preparation of the International Law Handbook. The Assembly requested the Secretary-General to report to it at its seventy-second session on the implementation of the Programme of Assistance in 2017 and, following consultations with the Advisory Committee on the Programme of Assistance, to submit recommendations regarding the Programme in subsequent years (resolution 71/139).
Consideration at the seventy-second session
The Sixth Committee considered the item at its 16th and 30th meetings on 16 October and 10 November 2017 (A/C.6/72/SR.16 and 30).
For its consideration of the item, the Committee had before it the Report of the Secretary-General (A/72/517 + Corr.1).
During the 16th meeting, statements were made by the Acting Secretary, and on behalf of the Chair, of the Advisory Committee on the United Nations Programme of Assistance in the Teaching, Study, Dissemination, and Wider Appreciation of International Law and by a representative of the Division of Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs.
Statements were made by the representatives of Ecuador (on behalf of the Group of 77 and China), Algeria (on behalf of the African Group), El Salvador (on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC)), the European Union, also on behalf of its member States (the candidate countries Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, the country of the Stabilization and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia, aligned themselves with the statement), Cambodia (on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)), Australia, Sudan, Singapore, Paraguay, Peru, the Russian Federation, El Salvador, Thailand, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Trinidad and Tobago, Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, Tonga, Portugal, Cyprus, the United States, Myanmar, Morocco, Mexico, Lebanon and Iraq.
Delegations welcomed the Report of the Secretary-General (A/72/139) and reiterated the key role of the Programme of Assistance in furthering international peace and security, promoting friendly relations and cooperation among States, and supporting the rule of law. Delegations highlighted the benefits of the Programme to enhance knowledge of public international law across all regions, and noted that respect for international law was of utmost importance for the purposes and principles of the United Nations. They noted that knowledge and understanding of the substantive norms of international law was a necessary premise for their observance and was at the heart of the purposes and principles of the United Nations. Several delegations stressed the importance of the Programme as a key capacity-building activity to improve the participation of developing countries in multilateral frameworks and instruments.
Delegations commended the work of the Office of Legal Affairs, in particular that of the Codification Division, and expressed their appreciation for the work of Virginia Morris, the recently-retired Secretary of the Advisory Committee.
Delegations expressed the importance of maintaining regular budget funding for the Regional Courses and the Audiovisual Library of International Law. Several delegations again expressed their appreciation to those States who had made voluntary contributions, including in-kind contributions, to the activities of the Programme of Assistance, and encouraged continued and enhanced voluntary contributions.
Delegations praised the Audiovisual Library of International Law as an essential research and teaching resource, offering easy and free access to a vast range of materials, and noted its reach and continued expansion in both content and users. Some delegations also praised the Secretariat’s efforts to make the materials available in alternative forms, such as podcasts, when high-speed Internet access is lacking, and the need for advancing multilingualism was stressed.
Delegations expressed their strong appreciation for and support of the Regional Courses in International Law and for the International Law Fellowship Programme. Several delegations expressed support for establishing permanent venues for the Regional Courses. Ethiopia, Chile and Thailand were commended for hosting the Regional Courses in their respective regions in 2017.
With respect to legal publications, delegations emphasized the significance of the many publications produced by the Office of Legal Affairs, including in hard copy. Delegations welcomed the publication of the International Law Handbook in English.
Action taken by the Sixth Committee
At the 30th meeting, on 10 November, the representative of Ghana, on behalf of the Bureau, introduced a draft resolution entitled “United Nations Programme of Assistance in the Teaching, Study, Dissemination and Wider Appreciation of International Law” (A/C.6/72/L.19), which the Committee adopted without a vote.
Under the terms of the draft resolution, the General Assembly would authorize the Secretary-General to carry out the activities specified in his reports on this item, including the following activities to be financed from the provisions in the regular budget: the International Law Fellowship Programme and the Regional Courses in International Law for Africa, for Latin-America and the Caribbean and for Asia-Pacific; the Audiovisual Library of International Law; and the dissemination of legal publications and lectures of the Audiovisual Library to developing countries to the extent that there are sufficient resources. In addition, the Assembly would authorize the Secretary-General to expand those activities to be financed from voluntary contributions. It would also authorize the Secretary-General to award a minimum of one scholarship in 2018 and one in 2019 under the Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe Memorial Fellowship on the Law of the Sea. Furthermore, it would request the Secretary-General to include in the regular budget, for consideration by the Assembly, the necessary funding for the Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe Memorial Fellowship on the Law of the Sea for the biennium 2018-2019, should voluntary contributions be insufficient for granting at least one fellowship a year.
The General Assembly would also express its appreciation for the efforts that were undertaken by the Office of Legal Affairs to bring up to date the United Nations legal publications, note with satisfaction the issuance of The Work of the International Law Commission (9th ed.) and the United Nations Juridical Yearbook (2013) and express itsappreciation for the issuance of the English language edition of the International Law Handbook.
Subsequent action taken by the General Assembly
This agenda item will be considered at the seventy-third session (2018).
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