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 80/164 of 15 December 2025, the International Law Commission is scheduled to hold its seventy-seventh session at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, from 20 April to 29 May 2026, and at the United Nations Office in Geneva, from 29 June to 7 August 2026. In the event that insufficient resources are made available to hold the first part of the seventy-seventh session in New York, then the first part would be held in Geneva from 27 April to 5 June 2026.

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

Filling of casual vacancy

16 December 2025 A casual vacancy on the ILC has arisen following the resignation of Ms. Phoebe Okowa.

2025 ILC Report (final version)

15 August 2025 The 2025 ILC report has been issued.

2025 ILC Report (advance version)

9 June 2025 Advance unofficial version of the 2025 ILC report is made available for the convenience of delegations. Official issuance in all six languages is expected by mid-August.

Adoption of the report

30 May 2025 The Commission adopted its report of the seventy-sixth session as a whole and thus concluded its work for that session.

Other decisions

30 May 2025 The Commission decided to add the topics “Due diligence in international law” and “Compensation for the damage caused by internationally wrongful acts” to its programme of work, and appointed Ms. Penelope Ridings and Mr. Mārtiņš Paparinskis, respectively, as Special Rapporteurs.

Subsidiary means

30 May 2025 The Second-Vice Chair presented the report of the Drafting Committee on behalf of the Chair of the Drafting Committee on the topic (A/CN.4/L.1019). The Commission took note of the report of the Drafting Committee.

Subsidiary means

28 May 2025 The document containing texts and titles of the draft conclusions provisionally adopted by the Drafting Committee on first reading, has been issued (A/CN.4/L.1019).

General principles of law

27 May 2025The Chair of the Drafting Committee, Mr. Mario Oyarzábal, presented the report of the Drafting Committee on the topic.  The Commission took note of the report containing the text and titles of the draft conclusions adopted by the Drafting Committee on second reading.

General principles of law

26 May 2025 The document containing texts and titles of the draft conclusions adopted by the Drafting Committee on second reading, has been issued (A/CN.4/L.1018).

Succession of States

26 May 2025 The Chair of the Working Group on the topic, Mr. Bimal N. Patel, presented the oral report of the Working Group.  The Commission took note of the oral report of the Working Group.

Piracy and armed robbery at sea

26 May 2025 The Chair of the Working Group on the topic, Mr. Louis Savadogo, presented the oral report of the Working Group.  The Commission took note of the oral report of the Working Group.

Sea-level rise

26 May 2025 The Co-Chairs of the Study Group on the topic presented the report of the Study Group. The Commission took note of the report of the Study Group.