Seminar on Treaty Law and Practice increased awareness among State Representatives of the International Treaty Framework
On 2 and 3 December 2021, the Treaty Section conducted the 鈥淪eminar on Treaty Law and Practice: The Work of the Treaty Section of the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs鈥�. Mindful of the importance of multilingualism for capacity building activities, the Seminar was held in English and French.听
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The annual Seminar is designed to increase awareness of the diplomatic community on issues pertaining to the international treaty framework. It aims at facilitating the work of Member States in joining multilateral treaties deposited with the Secretary General and registering treaties and treaty actions under Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations.
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This year, against the restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Seminar was held virtually. Taking advantage of the virtual nature of the event, the Treaty Section sought to promote a greater participation from representatives based in capitals around the world. Over 60 representatives from Permanent Missions in New York, as well as Treaty Divisions in capitals participated in the English and French sessions of the Seminar. During the Seminar, the members of the Treaty Section discussed the depositary functions of the Secretary-General for multilateral treaties, as well as the registration and publication of treaties, presented case studies, and actively engaged with participants. This gave rise to stimulating exchanges of views between professionals on the law of treaties and on practice relating to the international treaty framework.
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The Seminar also featured guest presentations by colleagues from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, who shared valuable knowledge and insight on the UNHCR鈥檚 mandate on statelessness, examined the legal framework of the Statelessness Conventions, and outlined the efforts of the Office in promoting wider adherence by States.
