15 Oct 2021
1 I have the honour of delivering this statement on behalf of Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Italy and Singapore.
2 Our delegations believe that a strong international treaty framework provides critical support for the rules-based multilateral system founded upon international law. An important element of this framework is the regime for treaty registration and publication under Article 102 of the UN Charter.
3 Our delegations aimed to achieve several objectives when we requested the inclusion of this item in the agenda for the 73rd session of the General Assembly. The first was to have a platform for this Committee to review the regulations to give effect to Article 102, which was long-overdue at that point in time. Second, we wanted to provide an opportunity for Member States to consider how shortcomings in treaty registration could be addressed. Third, we endeavoured to have an exchange of views on treaty-making practice and identify trends and share best practices in treaty-making, as well as discuss other treaty-related topics.
4 Our delegations are pleased that, in the two sessions in which this item has been on the agenda, this Committee’s work has produced substantive, practical and tangible results. At the 73rd session, consensus was achieved on amendments to bring the regulations in line with the latest developments in treaty registration practice and information technology. At the 75th session, despite the challenges posed by the global pandemic, consensus was achieved in a number of areas—most notably, in the encouragement of the UN Treaty Section to develop an online treaty registration system to facilitate submissions of treaties for registration and to make use of technology as necessary in capacity-building initiatives.
5 For this session, we look forward to continuing the discussions on the regulations that were deferred last year. In this regard, we recall that last year’s report of the Secretary-General identified a number of areas where further reform of the regulations may be possible. We have also taken note of the proposals on the regulations that have been tabled to date and welcome the constructive spirit of the delegations that submitted them. We stand ready to engage constructively with other delegations and look forward to achieving positive results once again.
Mdm Chair,
6 Once the review of the regulations can be completed, we believe the Committee should turn its attention to current shortcomings in treaty registration and to developments in treaty-making practice. There are many other issues that Member States may find useful to examine in-depth. The pandemic and other recent geopolitical developments have also been a catalyst for many new and innovative practices in the area of treaty-making. We fully support including this item in the agenda of future sessions, with specific treaty-related topics to be identified by consensus to be the focus of the Committee’s deliberations and the subject of a Secretary-General’s report.
7 Finally, we would like to thank the staff of the UN Treaty Section for their hard work and dedication in overseeing the implementation of Article 102 of the UN Charter and discharging the Secretary-General’s depositary functions. We also want to thank the staff of the UN Treaty Section for all assistance rendered to Member States on those matters. Their efforts support transparency in international relations and legal certainty in international law, and, ultimately, contribute to the upholding of the rule of law at the international level.
8 Thank you very much.
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