Ad Hoc Committee on the criminal accountability of United Nations officials and experts on mission
(2007–2008)
Introduction
The General Assembly, in its resolution 61/29 of 4 December 2006, decided to establish an Ad Hoc Committee open to all States Members of the United Nations or members of the specialized agencies or of the International Atomic Energy Agency, for the purpose of considering the report of the Group of Legal Experts established by the Secretary-General pursuant to resolution 59/300 (document A/60/980), in particular its legal aspects.
In its resolution 62/63 of 6 December 2007, the General Assembly decided to reconvene the Ad Hoc Committee for the purpose of continuing the consideration of the report of the Group of Legal Experts, in particular its legal aspects, taking into account the views of Member States and the information contained in the Note prepared by the Secretariat (A/62/329).
No Ad Hoc Committee has been convened after 2008. However, the work of the Ad Hoc Committee has continued in the framework of a working group of the Sixth Committee. The Working Group met in 2007, 2008, 2012 and 2015. Another working group is envisaged in 2018 (see resolution 70/114 of 14 December 2015 and 71/134 of 13 December 2016).
2007 Session
The Ad Hoc Committee held its first session from 9 to 13 April 2007 at United Nations Headquarters in New York. At the 2nd meeting, on 13 April 2007, the Ad Hoc Committee adopted its report (A/62/54). As reflected in paragraph 19 of the report, the Ad Hoc Committee decided to recommend that the Sixth Committee, at the sixty-second session of the Assembly, establish a working group with a view to continuing the consideration of the report of the Group of Legal Experts established by the Secretary-General pursuant to resolution 59/300 (A/60/980) focusing on its legal aspects, taking into account the views expressed in the Ad Hoc Committee.
2008 Session
The Ad Hoc Committee held its second session from 7 to 9 and on 11 April 2008, at United Nations Headquarters, in New York. At its 4th meeting, on 11 April 2008, the Ad Hoc Committee adopted its report (A/63/54). As reflected in paragraph 20 of the report, the Ad Hoc Committee, bearing in mind paragraph 7 of resolution 62/63, decided to reiterate the recommendation that the Sixth Committee, during the sixty-third session of the General Assembly, establish a working group, with a view to continuing the consideration of the report of the Group of Legal Experts (A/60/980) established by the Secretary-General pursuant to resolution 59/300, focusing on its legal aspects, also taking into account the views expressed in the Ad Hoc Committee.
Since the 2008, work on criminal accountability has continued in the context of a working group of the Sixth Committee. In resolution 63/119 of 11 December 2008, the General Assembly decided that the consideration of the report of the Group of Legal Experts (A.60/980), in particular its legal aspects, taking into account the views of Member States and the information contained in the note by the Secretariat (A/62/329) shall be continued during its sixty-fourth session in the framework of a working group of the Sixth Committee. Accordingly, work continued at the sixty-fourth session (2009) (resolution 64/119); and thereafter triennially at the seventy-seventh (2012) (resolution 66/93), seventieth (2015) (resolution 69/114), and seventy-third sessions (2018) (resolution 72/112); and thereafter biennially, at seventy-fifth session (2020) (resolution 74/181). The working group is expected to meet at the seventy-seventh session of the General Assembly (2022) (resolution 76/106).