Technical assistance to promote the teaching, study, dissemination and wider appreciation of international law

XX. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE SIXTH COMMITTEE
2099. Technical assistance to promote the teaching, study, dissemination and wider appreciation of international law

The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 1816 (XVII) of 18 December 1962 and 1968 (XVIII) of 16 December 1963, Having considered the report of the Special Committee on Technical Assistance to Promote the Teaching. Study, Dissemination and Wider Appreciation of International Law,[1] Having also considered the relevant paragraphs of the report of the Technical Assistance Committee [2]2and of the report of the Economic and Social Council, [3]3the reports of the Secretary-General, [4] the communication by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [5]5as well as the replies received from Governments of Member States and from interested international organizations and institutions,[6] Recognizing the need for the strengthening of the role of international law in international relations, Having noted the valuable work which is being undertaken by some institutions and other bodies in the promotion of the teaching, study, dissemination and wider appreciation of international law, Considering nevertheless that much remains to be done in this field, Noting that a large number of Member States have expressed the view that a programme of assistance and exchange should be established and administered by the United Nations and the 'United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization for the purpose of furthering the objectives of the United Nations and of assisting Member States, in particular developing countries, in the training of specialists in the field of international law and in the promotion of the teaching, study, dissemination and wider appreciation of international law, Bearing in mind the limited financial means available for this purpose and the desirability of avoiding any duplication of programmes established and carried out by States and by other international and national organizations, Considering that even a limited programme will contribute towards meeting some of the most pressing needs for a better knowledge of international law as a means of strengthening international peace and security and of promoting friendly relations and co-operation among States,

1. Expresses its appreciation to the Special Committee on Technical Assistance to Promote the Teaching, Study, Dissemination and Wider Appreciation of International Law and to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization for the work accomplished in the preparation of the programme of assistance and exchange in the field of international law;

2. Decides to establish a programme of assistance and exchange in the field of international law consisting of:

(a) Steps to encourage and co-ordinate existing international law programmes carried out by States and by organizations and institutions, such as those proposed by the Special Committee in part I, section A, of its report to the Genera] Assembly;

(b) Forms of direct assistance and exchange, such as seminars training and refresher courses, fellowships, advisory services of experts, the provision of legal publications and libraries, and translations of major legal works;

3. Authorizes the Secretary-General to initiate the preparatory work for this programme in 1966 within the total level of appropriations approved for that year;

4. Requests the Secretary-Genera to publicize the above-mentioned programme and invites Member States, interested national and international institutions mid organizations, and individuals to make voluntary contributions towards the financing of this programme or otherwise towards assisting in its implementation and possible expansion in accordance with the report of the Special Committee;

5. Requests the Secretary-General, taking into consideration the voluntary contributions which may have been received in terms of paragraph 4 above and in consultation with the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, to make in the budget estimates for 1967 and 196S such provisions as may be necessary to carry out the activities specified in the annex to the present resolution;

6. Invites the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization to participate in the implementation of the programme established in paragraph 2 above and requests the Secretary-General to reach agreement with the Director-General of that organization, subject to any necessary approval by the competent authorities of the two organizations, as to which parts of the programme are to be financed and administered by each organization;

7. Requests the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research to consider the ways in which international law is to be given its proper place among the activities of the Institute in the light of the report of the Special Committee and of the views expressed on the subject in the Sixth Committee;

8. Decides to establish an Advisory Committee on Technical Assistance to Promote the Teaching, Study, Dissemination and Wider Appreciation of International Law - composed of ten Member States to be appointed every three years by the General Assembly - which shall meet at the request either of the Secretary-General or of a majority of its members, shall advise the Secretary-General on the substantive aspects of the programmes contained in the report of the Special Committee and on the implementation of the present resolution and shall report, as appropriate, to the General Assembly; a representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and a representative of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research shall be invited, whenever necessary, to the meetings of the Advisory Committee;

9. Reiterates the appeal to Member States, made in its resolution 1968 C (XVIII) of 16 December 1963, inviting them to offer foreign students fellowships in the field of international law at their universities and institutions of higher education and to consider the inclusion, in their programmes of cultural exchange, of provision for the exchange of teachers, students and experts, as well as books and other publications in that field;

10. Calls the attention of Member States to the existing arrangements whereby, apart from the programme mentioned in paragraph 2 above, requests may be made:

(a) Under part V of the regular budget for assistance with respect to any international legal aspects involved in development projects, and under the human rights advisory services programme for assistance relating to the field of international law;

(b) Under the Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance for assistance in specific fields of international law related to economic, social or administrative development, provided such requests are included in country programmes in accordance with the relevant rules and procedures;

11. Requests the Secretary-General to report on the implementation of the present resolution and decides to include in the provisional agenda of its twenty-first session an item entitled "Technical assistance to promote the teaching, study, dissemination and wider appreciation of international law";

12. Requests the Secretary-General to explore the possibility of including the topic "The teaching, study, dissemination and wider appreciation of international law" among the subjects of technical assistance programmes and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its twenty-first session.

1404th plenary meeting,
20 December 1965. At its 1404th plenary meeting, on 20 December 1965, the General Assembly appointed, on the proposal of the Sixth Committee, [7]7the members of the Advisory Committee on Technical Assistance to Promote the Teaching, Study, Dissemination and Wider Appreciation of International Law, established under paragraph 8 of the above resolution. The Advisory Committee will be composed of the following Member States: AFGHANISTAN, BELGIUM, ECUADOR, FRANCE, GHANA, HUNGARY, UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND, UNITED REPUBLIC OF, TANZANIA and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

ANNEX

Programme for 1967

(a) A regional training and refresher course of four weeks' duration, which will be given in Africa and which will be the first of a series of such courses to be held every two years, in rotation, in Africa, Asia and Latin America;

(b) Award of ten fellowships at the request of Governments all developing countries;

(c) Advisory services of up to three experts, if requested by developing countries;

(d) Provision of a set of United Nations legal publications to up to fifteen institutions in developing countries;

(e) Preparation of a survey of certain of the principal examples of the codification and progressive development of international law within the framework of the United Nations.

Programme for 1968

(a) A regional seminar of three weeks' duration, which will be held in Latin America and which will be the first of a series of such seminars to be held every two years, in rotation, in Latin America, Africa and Asia;

(b) Award of fifteen fellowships at the request of Governments of developing countries;

(c) Advisory services of up to five experts, if requested by developing countries;

(d) Provision of a set of United Nations legal publications to up to twenty institutions in developing countries;

(e) Publication of a survey of certain of the principal examples of the codification and progressive development of international law within the framework of the United Nations.

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[1] Ibid., Twentieth Session, Annexes, agenda item 89, document A/5887. [2]2 A/5791. For the printed text, see Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, Thirty-seventh Session, Annexes, agenda item 19, document E/3933, paras. 54-60. [3] Official Records of the General Assembly, Nineteenth Session, Supplement No. 3 (A/5803), para. 346. [4] Ibid., Eighteenth Session, Annexes, agenda item 72, document A/5585; ibid., Twentieth Session, Annexes, agenda item 89, document A/5790. [5] Ibid., Twentieth Session, Annexes, agenda item 89, document A/C.6/L.565. [6] Ibid., Eighteenth Session, Annexes, agenda item 72, documents A/5455 and Add.1-6; ibid., Twentieth Session, Annexes, agenda item 89, documents A/5744 and Add.1-4. [7] Ibid., Twentieth Session, Annexes, agenda item 89, document A/6136, para. 28.