Special missions

XXII. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE SIXTH COMMITTEE
2273. Special missions

The General Assembly, Having considered chapter II of the report of the International Law Commission on the work of its nineteenth session,[1] which contains final draft articles and commentaries on special missions, Recalling that in its resolutions 1687 (XVI) of 18 December 1961, 1902 (XVIII) of 18 November 963 and 2045 (XX) of 8 December 1965 it recommended that the International Law Commission should continue the work of codification and progressive development of the topic of special missions, taking into account the views expressed in the General Assembly and the comments submitted by Governments, and that in its resolution 2167 (XXI) of 5 December 966 it recommended that a final draft on special missions should be submitted to the Assembly by the Commission in its report on the work of its nineteenth session, Noting further that at its eighteenth and nineteenth sessions, in 1966 and 1967, the International Law Commission, in the light of the observations and comments submitted by Governments and taking into account the relevant resolutions and debates of the General Assembly, revised the provisional draft articles on special missions prepared at its sixteenth and seventeenth sessions and that at its nineteenth session he Commission finally adopted the draft articles, Recalling that, as stated in paragraph 33 of the report f the International Law Commission on the work of its nineteenth session, the Commission decided to recommend to the General Assembly that appropriate measures be taken for the conclusion of a convention on special missions, Mindful of Article 13, paragraph 1 a, of the Charter of the United Nations, which provides that the General Assembly shall initiate studies and make recommendations for the purpose of encouraging the progressive development of international law and its codification, Believing that the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations[2] and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations[3] have contributed to the fostering of friendly relations among nations, irrespective of their differing constitutional and social systems, and that they should be completed by a convention on special missions and the privileges and immunities of such missions,

1. Expresses its appreciation to the International Law Commission for its valuable work on special missions and to the Special Rapporteur for his contribution to this work;

2. Invites Member States to submit, not later than 1 July 1968, their written comments and observations on the final draft articles on special missions prepared by the International Law Commission;

3. Requests the Secretary-General to circulate the comments submitted by Member States on the subject, so as to facilitate its consideration by the General Assembly at its twenty-third session in the light of those comments;

4. Decides to include an item entitled "Draft Convention on Special Missions" in the provisional agenda of the twenty-third session, with a view to the adoption of such a convention by the General Assembly;

5. Requests the Secretary-General to arrange for the presence of the Special Rapporteur on special missions as an expert during the debates on the topic at the twenty-third session of the General Assembly and to submit at that session all relevant documentation;

6. Invites Member States to include as far as possible in their delegations to the twenty-third session of the General Assembly experts competent in the field to be considered.

1615th plenary meeting,
1 December 1967.

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[1] Ibid., Supplement No. 9 (A/6709/Rev.1 and Corr.1). [2] United Nations Conference on Diplomatic Intercourse and Immunities, 1961, Official Records, vol. II (United Nations publication, Sales No.: 62.X.1), p. 82. [3] United Nations Conference on Consular Relations, 1963,Official Records, vol. II (United Nations publication, Sales No.: 64.X.1), p. 175.