International Law Commission International Law Commission

International Law Commission, July 2023.
International Law Commission, July 2023.
The International Law Commission was established by the General Assembly, in 1947, to undertake the mandate of the Assembly, under article 13 (1) (a) of the Charter of the United Nations to "initiate studies and make recommendations for the purpose of ... encouraging the progressive development of international law and its codification".

In accordance with resolution 79/121 of 4 December 2024, the International Law Commission is scheduled to hold its seventy-sixth session at the United Nations Office in Geneva (UNOG), in conference room XXI. As a consequence of the ongoing financial crisis facing the United Nations, the annual session of the Commission has been reduced to five weeks and will take place from 28 April to 30 May 2025.

Current programme of work

The following topics are on the programme of work of the Commission:

The Work of the International Law Commission, 10th ed.

Latest publication: Work of the International Law Commission, 10th ed. (vols. I and II)

Work of the International Law Commission, 10th ed., vols. I and II provides a general introduction to the work of the International Law Commission and includes several annexes (vol. II) reproducing the instruments adopted on the basis of the work of the Commission, or by the Commission itself.

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Recent Developments

Subsidiary means

12 May 2025 The Special Rapporteur, Mr. Charles Chernor Jalloh, introduced his third report on the topic (A/CN.4/781).  The Commission began its consideration of the Special Rapporteur’s third report.

General principles of law

12 May 2025 The Special Rapporteur summed up the debate on his fourth report on the topic (A/CN.4/785). The Commission referred draft conclusions 1 to 12 to the Drafting Committee.

Visit of the ICJ President

8 May 2025 The President of the International Court of Justice, H.E. Judge Yuji Iwasawa, addressed the Commission. An exchange of views followed.

Non-legally binding agreements

8 May 2025 Second report on non-legally binding international agreements by Mathias Forteau, Special Rapporteur, has been issued (A/CN.4/784).

Succession of States & responsibility

7 May 2025 Draft report of the Working Group on succession of States in respect of State responsibility, by Bimal N. Patel, Chair of the Working Group, has been issued (A/CN.4/L.1004 + Add.1).

General principles of law

5 May 2025 The Special Rapporteur, Mr. Marcelo Vázquez-Bermúdez, introduced his fourth report on the topic (A/CN.4/785).

Immunity of State officials

5 May 2025 The Special Rapporteur summed up the debate on his second report on the topic (A/CN.4/780). The Commission referred draft articles 7 to 18, and the draft annex, as recommended by the Special Rapporteur, to the Drafting Committee.

Immunity of State officials

30 April 2025 The Commission adopted the texts and titles of the draft articles 1, 3, 4 and 5[6], adopted by the Drafting Committee at last year’s session under the topic, as contained in document A/CN.4/L.1001. The Commission continued its consideration of the second report on the topic (A/CN.4/780).

Visit of the USG for Legal Affairs and United Nations Legal Counsel

29 April 2025 The USG for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel, Ms. Elinor Hammarskjöld, made a statement informing the Commission of the activities of the Office of Legal Affairs and recent developments of international law in the context of the UN.  An exchange of views was held in a closed meeting.

Immunity of State officials

28 April 2025 The Special Rapporteur, Mr. Claudio Grossman, introduced his second report on the topic (A/CN.4/780). The Commission began its consideration of the Special Rapporteur’s second report.

Settlement of disputes

28 April 2025 Third report on the settlement of disputes to which international organizations are parties, by August Reinisch, Special Rapporteur, has been issued (A/CN.4/782).