Member · 2023–present
International Law Commission
“I am committed to the continued relevance of the International Law Commission to all States.”
Contribution to the Commission
Elected by the UN General Assembly for the 2023–2027 term of the International Law Commission.
Elected Rapporteur of the 75th Session, 2024.
As Rapporteur, prepared Chapter II (Summary) of the Report of the International Law Commission, Seventy-fifth Session, 2024.
2024: Proposed topic of ‘Due Diligence in International Law’ accepted onto the Long-Term Programme of Work of the International Law Commission.
2025: Appointed Special Rapporteur for the topic ‘Due Diligence in International Law’.
Participated in briefings of delegates of the Pacific Islands Forum on the work of the Study Group on Sea-level Rise, together with the Co-Chairs of the Study Group, and on the work of the Commission 2023–2026.
A relevant, contemporary work programme
Successful modern international organisations must be able to respond to emerging issues and to find practical and enduring legal solutions to contemporary challenges.
A strong relationship with States
The work of the International Law Commission must not only be intellectually rigorous; it must be relevant to the diverse real-world needs and perspectives of the States that created it.
Understanding & engagement
It is important to promote greater understanding of, and engagement with, the work of the International Law Commission within the international legal community.
Due diligence in international law
2025: Appointed Special Rapporteur for the topic ‘Due Diligence in International Law’.
The First Report on Due diligence in international law discussed the methodological approach to the topic and reviewed the debate on the topic in the Sixth Committee of the General Assembly, and the previous work of the Commission and other international legal bodies.
The Report provided an overview of available material on due diligence in international law from the late nineteenth century to the present, considered both chronologically and thematically. This demonstrated the shift in understanding of due diligence and its current relevance, particularly in relation to the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on the Obligations of States in Respect of Climate Change.
The Report and discussion in the Commission assisted in identifying the issues and questions to be examined in future reports. The First Report will be discussed in the Sixth Committee of the General Assembly commencing 26 October 2026. States and relevant international organisations have been requested to provide examples of State practice to assist in the development of the Special Rapporteur’s Second Report on Due diligence in international law.