UN Transcripts — https://transcripts.un.org/en/ga/c6/80/40
Sixth Committee, 40th plenary meeting - General Assembly, resumed 80th session — Sixth Committee — 6 April 2026
Language: en
Automatically generated transcript — may contain errors. Not an official United Nations record.

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6th Committee · Chair [0:00]:

Good morning. I call to order the 40th meeting of the Sixth Committee for the 80th session of the General Assembly. Distinguished delegates, the Sixth Committee will now revert to agenda item 86, Protection of Persons in the Event of Disasters. As you are aware, at its 76th session, pursuant to General Assembly resolution 76/119 of 9 December 2021, the Assembly first decided to examine the draft articles and to consider further the recommendation of the Commission for the elaboration of a convention by the Assembly or by an international conference of plenipotentiaries on the basis of the draft articles or any other potential course of action with respect to the draft articles within the framework of a working group of the Sixth Committee to be convened for four full consecutive days at the 78th and 79th sessions of the Assembly. The Assembly also decided that the working group would report to the Sixth Committee at the 79th session of the Assembly on the outcome of its deliberations with a view to the Committee making a recommendation to the Assembly as to any further action to take in respect of the draft articles. The working group was open to all states members of the UN and relevant observers of the General Assembly. The working group, then chaired by my predecessor, Ambassador Antonio Lagdameo of the Philippines, held several meetings in the course of two sessions, during which delegations engaged in a series of in-depth, substantive, and thought-provoking discussions, following which the chair delivered his reports along with the chair's summary of the deliberations in the working groups, prepared under his responsibility and following consultations with delegations with the assistance of the Secretariat and provided for information purposes only and solely for the convenience of delegations. At its 79th session, pursuant to General Assembly resolution 79/128 of 12 December 2024, the Assembly decided that the Sixth Committee shall resume its session for up to five days by the end of April 2026 at the latest in order to prepare a consolidated text, including the draft articles and the proposals submitted by governments by the deadline of 31 December 2025, within the framework of a working group of the Committee. Pursuant to this, the Secretariat has prepared a compilation of proposals and amendments to the draft articles on protection of persons in the event of disasters, which is to be found in document A/80/610, available on the Committee's website, which should enable us to move forward with our mandate. I must also acknowledge the work of the Secretariat of our Committee, the Codification Division of the Office of Legal Affairs. Its support, experience, detailed knowledge of precedent, and helpful guidance has been invaluable to the Bureau and to the Committee. If you recall at our first meeting held on 6 October 2025, the Committee decided to establish the working group envisaged by resolution 79/128. I recall also that the Sixth Committee decided that the working group would be open to the member states of the United Nations and the relevant observers to the General Assembly would continue to be invited to participate in its work. At the time, I announced my intention to chair the working group, continuing the tradition of the working group being chaired by my delegation. In accordance with resolution 80/169, this resumed session will take place over five days, starting today until Friday, 10 April. The proposed program of work of the working group will be discussed at the first meeting of the working group to be convened shortly. Permit me to draw your attention to the fact that in accordance with the request by the Secretariat that the number of meetings of all bodies be reduced by 10 percent, no meetings are scheduled in the afternoons of Thursday and Friday this week. The plenary of the Sixth Committee will meet again on Friday morning, 10 April 2026, at which time it will consider the oral report of the chair of the working group. The working group will convene immediately following the adjournment of this meeting. But before adjourning, please be informed that informal consultations on the matter of the composition of the Bureau of the Preparatory Committee for the United Nations Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries on Protection of Persons in the Event of Disasters will be held in this room over the lunch break, starting at 1:15 p.m., to be facilitated by our vice chairman of the Sixth Committee, Ms. Lucia Solano. The meeting is adjourned.