On Wednesday 6th December, the UN General Assembly adopted by consensus resolution A/C.6/79/L.16 submitted by the UNGA Sixth Committee (here). Based on this resolution, the UNGA has decided to ‘elaborate and conclude a legally binding instrument on the protection of persons in the event of disasters, without prejudice to the legal effects of any particular provisions contained therein, by the end of 2027 at the latest’ (OP 4). With its adoption, the UNGA has thus paved the way for negotiations on a universal treaty on the international legal framework relevant to disasters, based on the draft articles of the International Law Commission (ILC DAs) adopted in 2016. This contribution will focus on the long journey of the ILC DAs towards a treaty, the next steps and the legal issues that will be at the centre of the upcoming negotiations among States.
A long way from the 2004 tsunami to the future treaty
