Programme of Assistance in the teaching, study, dissemination and wider appreciation of international law

last update:18 March 2011

The United Nations Programme of Assistance in the teaching, study, dissemination and wider appreciation of international law was established by General Assembly resolution 2099 (XX) of 20 December 1965 to contribute to a better knowledge of international law "as a means for strengthening international peace and security and promoting friendly relations and co-operation among States". Its continuation was subsequently authorized by the Assembly through the adoption of resolutions at its annual sessions until its twenty-sixth session, and thereafter biennially (links to resolutions in all officials languages are on this page). At its sixty-fourth session, the General Assembly decided to consider this agenda item on an annual basis (resolution 64/113).

The Programme of Assistance provides direct assistance in the field of international law by means of: (i) fellowship programmes, regional courses and symposia in international law; and (ii) the preparation and dissemination of publications and other information relating to international law.

Implementation of the Programme of Assistance

In the performance of the functions entrusted to him by the General Assembly in relation to the Programme of Assistance, the Secretary-General is assisted by the Advisory Committee on the United Nations Programme of Assistance in the Teaching, Study, Dissemination and Wider Appreciation of International Law.

The members of the Advisory Committee are elected by the General Assembly for a period of four years. The following 25 Member States were elected members of the Advisory Committee at the sixty-second session of the General Assembly, beginning on 1 January 2008 and ending on 31 December 2011: Canada, Colombia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Ghana, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Italy, Jamaica, Kenya, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Portugal, the Russian Federation, the Sudan, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, the United Republic of Tanzania, the United States of America and Uruguay (resolution 62/62). In 2011, the General Assembly will appoint the members of the Advisory Committee for the period 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2015.

The Secretary-General reports to the General Assembly on the implementation of the Programme and, following consultations with the Advisory Committee on the Programme, which meets annually in the autumn, submits recommendations regarding its execution in subsequent years (links to reports are on this page).

The Codification Division of the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations is responsible for implementing the Programme of Assistance.

Funding of the Programme

The Programme of Assistance is primarily funded through voluntary contributions by Member States which are distributed to various activities of the Programme, depending on the instructions of the States, including:

International Law Fellowship Programme (more)
Regional Courses in International Law (more)
United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law (more)
Geneva International Law Seminar (more)
Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe Fellowship on the Law of the Sea (more)

Contributions from States and interested private institutions are welcomed in order to assist in the implementation of the Programme and its possible expansion. For more information in this regard, please contact Ms. Hanna Dreifeldt Lainé, Legal Officer, Codification Divions, Office of Legal Affairs, United Nations, tel. (1) 212-963-3918,
e-mail dreifeldt@un.org

Fellowship Programmes under the Programme of Assistance

The fellowship programmes referred to below are intended to provide opportunities for young scholars and government officials, primarily from developing countries, to study and increase their knowledge in the field of international law and become more familiar with the work of international organizations.

International Law Fellowship Programme
Geneva International Law Seminar
Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe Fellowship on the Law of the Sea

Regional Courses in International Law

Regional Courses in International Law are also offered under the Programme of Assistance. These Regional Courses are held periodically depending on the willingness of a Government to host such a Regional Course and the availability of voluntary contributions for this purpose. Participants are usually invited from the region where the Regional Course is being offered, and the curricula includes subjects of international law of special interest to the region. (See, General Assembly resolutions 2099 (XX) of 20 December 1965 and 3106 (XXVIII) of 12 December 1973 and the 1973 Secretary-General Report on the Programme (A/9242)).

Since 1967, twenty-four Regional Courses have been held in various countries (more).

Regional Courses in International Law

United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law

The Audiovisual Library of International Law is part of the United Nations Programme of Assistance in the Teaching, Study, Dissemination and Wider Appreciation of International Law established by the General Assembly in 1963 as the cornerstone of United Nations efforts in this area. The Audiovisual Library of International Law is a unique multi-media resource which is a core instrument for promoting a greater understanding of the essential role of the United Nations in the field of international law and the creation of a culture that is conducive to the rule of law. The Audiovisual Library of International Law will also perform a unique and invaluable function by preserving in a vivid and informative manner the audiovisual heritage of legal developments within the United Nations system and promoting a greater awareness of the unparalleled legacy of the United Nations in the codification and progressive development of international law.

The Audiovisual Library of International Law consists of three main components: (i) the Lecture Series provides lectures by eminent international law scholars and practitioners from different countries on virtually every subject of international law; (ii) the Historic Archives contains introductory notes prepared by internationally recognized experts, audiovisual materials recording the history of the negotiation and adoption of significant legal instruments (e.g., the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Genocide Convention, and the Law of the Sea Convention), the procedural history as well as the text of the legal instruments and other key documents; and (iii) the Research Library provides an extensive on-line library of international law materials, including treaties, jurisprudence, United Nations documents, yearbooks and legal publications as well as scholarly writings provided by HeinOnLine.

This innovative teaching and research tool is available, free of charge, to all institutions and individuals around the globe at http://www.un.org/law/avl/.

UNCITRAL symposia

The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) technical cooperation and assistance is mainly aimed at supporting developing countries and countries in transition in implementing national law reforms in the commercial law field. UNCITRAL activities include: briefing missions, conferences and training; law reform assessments, assistance with the drafting of national legislation to implement UNCITRAL texts, assistance to international development agencies to use UNCITRAL texts in their law reform activities and projects, advice and assistance to international and other organizations, such as professional associations, organizations of attorneys, chambers of commerce and arbitration centres, on the use of UNCITRAL texts.

These conferences and workshops are organized in collaboration with a national government, a professional association or an international or regional organization. Lectures are given by staff of the UNCITRAL Secretariat, national experts and, occasionally, international consultants. Given the country situation, the required financial resources may be made available through the UNCITRAL Trust Fund for Symposia. The Trust Fund resources are based on voluntary contributions from Member States, organizations and individuals; the ability to respond to request from developing countries is solely dependent on the these contributions.
Inquiries should be addressed to: UNCITRAL Secretariat, Vienna International Centre, P.O. Box 500, A-1400 Vienna, Austria; Tel. no. (43-1) 26060-4060; Fax no. (43-1) 26060-5813; e-mail: uncitral@uncitral.org

For more information in this regard see: http://www.uncitral.org/uncitral/en/technical_assistance_coordination.html.

Technical assistance on treaty law and practice

The Treaty Section of the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations offers legal advice and assistance on matters related to treaty law and practice. The Treaty Section assists in the drafting of final clauses for multilateral treaties that will be deposited with the Secretary-General and advises Member States on undertaking treaty actions. To promote participation by Member States in the multilateral treaty framework, the Treaty Section organizes biannual treaty seminars at Headquarters and regional training sessions on treaty law and practice pertinent to each region.

For more information click here.

Legal publications and related documents

United Nations Juridical Yearbook (more)
Yearbooks of the International Law Commission (more)
United Nations Treaty Collection (more)
Repertory of Practice of United Nations Organs (more)
Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council (more)
United Nations Publications prepared by the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs (more)
Publications relating to the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) (more)
Case Law on UNCITRAL Texts (CLOUT) (more)
Reports of International Arbitral Awards (more)
United Nations Legislative Series
Summaries of Judgments, Advisory Opinions and Orders of the International Court of Justice (more)
Official Records of Diplomatic Conferences (more)