International Law Commission International Law Commission

International Law Commission, July 2018. Photo: Antoine Tardy.
International Law Commission, July 2018.
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".

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, the General Assembly, on 12 August 2020, decided to postpone the seventy-second session of the ILC to 2021. Subsequently, in accordance with General Assembly resolution  75/135 of 15 December 2020, the International Law Commission held its seventy-second session at the United Nations Office at Geneva from 26 April to 4 June and from 5 July to 6 August 2021 (11 weeks).

#ILC_2021

Latest publications: 70 years of the International Law Commission

70 years of the International Law Commission — Drawing a balance for the future 70 years of the International Law Commission — Drawing a balance for the future
  • Seventy Years of the International Law Commission photo exhibit, prepared by the Codification Division, accompanying the events marking the seventieth anniversary of the ILC in New York and Geneva. The exhibit was subsequently also displayed in The Hague, Bangkok and Washington, D.C., during 2018 and 2019.

Current programme of work

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

* Not scheduled to be considered at the seventy-second session in 2021.

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Recent Developments

2021 ILC Report (final version)

10 September 2021 The 2021 ILC report has been issued.

Adoption of the report

6 August 2021 The Commission adopted its report of the seventy-second session as a whole and thus concluded its work for that session.

Specific issues

6 August 2021 The Commission adopted Chapter III on “Specific issues on which comments would be of particular interest to the Commission”, as amended.

General principles of law

6 August 2021 The Commission adopted Chapter VIII on the topic, as amended.

Other decisions and conclusions

5 August 2021 The Commission adopted Chapter X on “Other decisions and conclusions of the Commission”, as amended.

Summary of the work

5 August 2021 The Commission adopted Chapter II on “Summary of the work of the Commission at its seventy-second session”, as amended.

Introduction

5 August 2021 The Commission adopted Chapter I on the topic, as amended.

Sea-level rise

5 August 2021 The Commission adopted Chapter IX on the topic, as amended.

Succession of States & responsibility

5 August 2021 The Commission adopted Chapter VII on the topic, as amended.

General principles of law

3 August 2021 The Chair of the Drafting Committee delivered a statement to introduce the report of the Drafting Committee on the topic (A/CN.4/L.955 + Add.1 ). The Commission provisionally adopted draft conclusions 1, 2 and 4, and took note of draft conclusion 5.

General principles of law

30 July 2021 The document containing texts and titles of draft conclusions 1, 2, 4 and 5 provisionally adopted by the Drafting Committee, has been issued (A/CN.4/L.955 + Add.1).

Succession of States & responsibility

28 July 2021 The Chair of the Drafting Committee presented the report of the Drafting Committee on the topic (A/CN.4/L.954). The Commission took note of the report.

Immunity of State officials

26 July 2021 The Chair of the Drafting Committee presented the second report of the Drafting Committee on the topic (A/CN.4/L.953/Add.1). The Commission considered the Report of the Drafting Committee and adopted the text and title of draft article 12.

Provisional application of treaties

26 July 2021 The Chair of the Drafting Committee presented the revised report of the Drafting Committee on the topic (A/CN.4/L.952/Rev.1). The Commission considered the report of the Drafting Committee and adopted on second reading the texts and titles of the draft guidelines 1 to 12 and of the draft annex. The Commission adopted the “Guide to Provisional Application of Treaties” as a whole on second reading.

Succession of States & responsibility

26 July 2021 The document containing texts of draft articles 10, 10 bis and 11 provisionally adopted by the Drafting Committee at the 72nd session, has been issued (A/CN.4/L.954).

Visit of the ICJ President via Zoom

22 July 2021 The President of the International Court of Justice, Judge Joan E. Donoghue, addressed the Commission via Zoom. An exchange of views followed.