Sixth Committee acts on wide variety of legal issue: protection of children, detained persons, among them.

Sixth Committee acts on wide variety of legal issues: protection of children, detained persons, among them

The Sixth Committee (Legal) in November addressed a wide variety of legal issues, including those related to protection of children and detained persons, peaceful settlement of disputes, review of the United Nations Charter, and the Law of Treaties between States and International Organizations. The General Assembly on 11 December acted on drafts proposed by the Committee on those issues and others.

In decision 40/422, adopted without a vote, the Assembly expressed appreciation at the work done in the Third and Sixth Committees in their common endeavour of elaborating a Declaration on Social and Legal Principles relating to the Protection and Welfare of Children, with Special Reference to Foster Placement and Adoption, Nationally and Internationally. It also decided that informal consultations should be held early in the Assembly's 1986 session to achieve agreement on the remaining questions so that the draft Declaration could be adopted at that session. The item has been on the Assembly's agenda since 1980.

The Sixth Committee considered another draft resolution relating to the protection of children, sponsored by Chile, Finland, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Spain, Sweden and Venezuela. By it the Assembly would have expressed concern at "the large number of children who are abandoned or become orphans due to violence, internal disturbance, war, warlike situations, social crises or natural disasters". Conscious of the need to proclaim universal principles relating to foster placement or adoption of a child, it would have proclaimed the Declaration on Social and Legal Principles relating to the protection and Welfare of Children.

The draft was withdrawn in favour of a draft decision put forward by the Federal Republic of Germany, which was subsequently approved by both the Sixth Committee and the Assembly.

By decision 40/420, adopted without a vote, the Assembly decided that work would continue in 1986 in the Sixth Committee aimed at completing the draft Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment.

In resolution 40/78, adopted without a vote, the Assembly requested the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization, at its next session (7 April-2 May 1986), to accord priority to the question of the maintenance of...