The Secretary-General has also opened and addressed a number of important international conferences convened under the auspices of the United Nations. These include the third session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Santiago, April 1972), the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm, June 1972), the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (Caracas, June 1974), the World Population Conference (Bucharest, August 1974) and the World Food Conference (Rome, November 1974). Sometimes referred to as the „Supreme Court of Executive,“ the OLC issues legal opinions that govern all of the executive`s powers, policies, and responsibilities. Its official written statements are final and legally authoritative statements within the executive branch. In recent years, memos from the Office of the Legal Counsel have provided the legal basis for many controversial government policies, including those related to the torture of detainees, warrantless wiretapping, and the use of drones to commit extrajudicial executions abroad. He spoke and participated in meetings of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in Rabat (June 1972 on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the OAU), Addis Ababa (May 1973) and Mogadishu (June 1974). He also addressed the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington (March 1972). In February and March 1974, the Secretary-General visited a number of countries in the Sudano-Sahelian region of Africa, where the United Nations had carried out a major relief operation to assist victims of a prolonged drought. The Special Committee held six further sessions from 1968 to 1974, one per year, with its mandate renewed annually by the General Assembly (see resolutions 2420 (XXIII) of 18 December 1968, 2549 (XXIV) of 12 December 1969, 2644 (XXV) of 25 November 1970, 2781 (XXVI) of 3 December 1971, 2967 (XXVII) of 14 December 1972 and 3105 (XXVIII) of 12 December 1973).
On 14 December 1974, the General Assembly adopted by common accord resolution 3314 (XXIX), annexing the definition of aggression adopted by the Fourth Special Committee. The definition begins with a broad definition of aggression, largely derived from Article 2, paragraph 4, of the Charter (without reference to threats), and then lists concrete examples of acts of aggression. The acts referred to in article 3 shall be considered acts of aggression, subject to article 2, according to which the Security Council may decide not to take a decision on aggression in the circumstances, including the fact that the acts are not of sufficient gravity. Article 4 specifies that the list is not exhaustive and that the Security Council may determine that other acts constitute aggression. The issue of self-determination was alive during the negotiations and was the subject of an austerity clause in Article 7. The Secretary-General has also made a number of trips to the Middle East to continue his efforts to achieve peace in the region. In August 1973, he visited Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt and Jordan; in June 1974, he met with the leaders of Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Jordan and Egypt; In November 1974, he visited Syria, Israel and Egypt as part of the extension of the mandate of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF). During those visits, he also inspected United Nations peacekeeping operations in the region — the United Nations Ceasefire Monitoring Organization (UNTSO), the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) and UNDOF. The Legal Counsel of the United Nations, Miguel de Serpa Soares, made introductory remarks at the third session of the Preparatory Committee established pursuant to General Assembly resolution 69/292: Elaboration of an international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction Read more The Committee Special on the definition of aggression, which contained the draft definition, was considered by the General Assembly at its twenty-ninth session, in 1974, and submitted to the Sixth Committee for its consideration. The Sixth Committee considered the report and the text of the definition between 8 October and 22 November 1974.
It made no changes to the text of the definition prepared by the Special Committee, but decided to include in its report to the General Assembly two statements setting out the views of the Sixth Committee on paragraphs 3 (c) and (d) concerning the classification of „blockade of ports or coasts of one State by the armed forces of another State“ and „land attack by the armed forces of one State“. naval or air forces or naval and air fleets of another State“ as acts of aggression. On 14 December 1974, on the recommendation of the Sixth Committee, the General Assembly adopted without a vote resolution 3314 (XXIX), to which the definition of aggression was attached. The General Assembly also drew the attention of the Security Council to the definition and recommended that the Security Council take into account that definition, as appropriate, in determining the existence of an act of aggression in accordance with the Charter. Related documents A. Legal instruments London Statute of the International Military Tribunal, London, 8 August 1945. Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, General Assembly resolution 2625 (XXV) of 24 October 1970. B. Jurisprudence International Court of Justice, Military and Paramilitary Activities in and against Nicaragua (Nicaragua v.
United States of America), Merits, Judgment, I.C.J. Reports 1986, p. 14. International Court of Justice, Armed Activities on the Territory of the Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Uganda), Judgment, ICJ Reports 2005, p. 168. Documents Draft resolution submitted by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to the First Committee, Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifth Session, Annexes, agenda item 72 (A/C.1/608, 6 November 1950). Yearbook of the International Law Commission 1951, vol. II, pp. 43-69 (A/CN.4/44, second report on the draft law on crimes against the peace and security of mankind by Mr.
J. Spiropoulos, Special Rapporteur). Report of the Special Committee on the Definition of Aggression, 11 March-12 April 1974, Official Records of the General Assembly, Twenty-ninth Session, Supplement No. 19 (A/9619 and Corr.l). Report of the Sixth Committee to the General Assembly (A/9890, 6 December 1974) Report of the International Law Commission on the work of its forty-sixth session, 2-22 May. July 1994, Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-ninth Session, Supplement No. 10 (A/49/10, reproduced in the Yearbook of the International Law Commission, 1994, vol. II, part two), p. 38, para. 6) (Draft Statute of the International Criminal Court). Task Force on the Crime of Aggression, Working Paper on the Crime of Aggression, proposed by the Chairman (ICC-ASP/6/SWGCA/2). D.
Lehre B. Brom, „The Definition of Aggression“, Recueil des Cours, vol. 154 (I), 1977, p. 348. B. Ferencz, Defining International Aggression: The Search for World Peace, vol. II, Oceana publications, Dobbs Ferry, New York, 1975. A.
Rifaat, International Aggression, Almqvist and Wiksell International, Stockholm, 1979. J. Stone, „Hopes and Loopholes in the Definition of Aggression 1974“, American Journal of International Law, vol. 71, 1977, p. 224. In April 2018, the United Nations Legal Counsel, Mr. Serpa Soares, opened the Intergovernmental Conference on International Legal Opinions Read more Report by Mr.