Criminal Accountability of United Nations Officials and Experts on Mission

A/RES/63/119No PDF available

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 73Criminal accountability of United Nations officials and experts on mission, published in 2009.

What other versions does this mandate have?

20 versions · 2006–2025

This is an older version — the most recent is A/RES/80/160

2025A/RES/80/160Criminal accountability of United Nations officials and experts on missionLatestCompare with previous version
2024A/RES/79/116Criminal accountability of United Nations officials and experts on missionCompare with previous version
2023A/RES/78/102Criminal accountability of United Nations officials and experts on missionCompare with previous version
2022A/RES/77/98Criminal accountability of United Nations officials and experts on missionCompare with previous version
2021A/RES/76/106Criminal accountability of United Nations officials and experts on missionCompare with previous version

Versions are identified automatically by matching titles within the same organ (~97% accuracy on a manual audit).

What subjects does this mandate have?

18 topics

Accountability Capacity Building Criminal Investigation Criminal Jurisdiction Criminal Law Criminal Liability Experts Field Staff Impunity Information Exchange International Civil Service Judicial Assistance Peacekeeping Operations Privileges and Immunities Prosecution Sex Crimes Standards of Conduct Training Programmes

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

1 report of the Secretary-General submitted under this mandate, 2009.

2009A/64/183Criminal accountability of United Nations officials and experts on mission report of the Secretary-General

Identified automatically from the metadata in each report’s UN Digital Library catalogue record.

What does this mandate say?

21 operative paragraphs

Expresses its appreciation for the work done by the Ad Hoc Committee on criminal accountability of United Nations officials and experts on mission and the Working Group of the Sixth Committee on the same subject;

Strongly urges States to take all appropriate measures to ensure that crimes by United Nations officials and experts on mission do not go unpunished and that the perpetrators of such crimes are brought to justice, without prejudice to the privileges and immunities of such persons and the United Nations under international law, and in accordance with international human rights standards, including due process;

Strongly urges all States to consider establishing to the extent that they have not yet done so jurisdiction, particularly over crimes of a serious nature, as known in their existing domestic criminal laws, committed by their nationals while serving as United Nations officials or experts on mission, at least where the conduct as defined in the law of the State establishing jurisdiction also constitutes a crime under the laws of the host State;

Encourages all States to cooperate with each other and with the United Nations in the exchange of information and in facilitating the conduct of investigations and, as appropriate, prosecution of United Nations officials and experts on mission who are alleged to have committed crimes of a serious nature, in accordance with their domestic laws and applicable United Nations rules and regulations, fully respecting due process rights, as well as to consider strengthening the capacities of their national authorities to investigate and prosecute such crimes;

Also encourages all States:

To afford each other assistance in connection with criminal investigations or criminal or extradition proceedings in respect of crimes of a serious nature committed by United Nations officials or experts on mission, including assistance in obtaining evidence at their disposal in accordance with their domestic law or any treaties or other arrangements on extradition and mutual legal assistance that may exist between them;

In accordance with their domestic law, to explore ways and means of facilitating the possible use of information and material obtained from the United Nations for purposes of criminal proceedings initiated in their territory for the prosecution of crimes of a serious nature committed by United Nations officials and experts on mission, bearing in mind due process considerations;

In accordance with their domestic law, to provide effective protection for victims of, witnesses to, and others who provide information in relation to, crimes of a serious nature alleged to have been committed by United Nations officials and experts on mission and to facilitate access by victims to victim assistance programmes, without prejudice to the rights of the alleged offender, including those relating to due process;

In accordance with their domestic law, to explore ways and means of responding adequately to requests by host States for support and assistance in order to enhance their capacity to conduct effective investigations in respect of crimes of a serious nature alleged to have been committed by United Nations officials and experts on mission;

Requests the Secretariat to continue to ensure that requests to Member States seeking personnel to serve as experts on mission make States aware of the expectation that persons who serve in that capacity should meet high standards in their conduct and behaviour and are aware that certain conduct may amount to a crime for which they may be held accountable;

Urges the Secretary-General to continue to take such other practical measures as are within his authority to strengthen existing training on United Nations standards of conduct, including through predeployment and in-mission induction training for United Nations officials and experts on mission;

Decides that the consideration of the report of the Group of Legal Experts,Error: Reference source not found in particular its legal aspects, taking into account the views of Member States and the information contained in the note by the Secretariat,Error: Reference source not found shall be continued during its sixty-fourth session in the framework of a working group of the Sixth Committee;

Requests the Secretary-General to bring credible allegations that reveal that a crime may have been committed by United Nations officials and experts on mission to the attention of the States against whose nationals such allegations are made, and to request from those States an indication of the status of their efforts to investigate and, as appropriate, prosecute crimes of a serious nature, as well as the types of appropriate assistance States may wish to receive from the Secretariat for the purposes of such investigations and prosecutions;

Requests the United Nations, when its investigations into allegations suggest that crimes of a serious nature may have been committed by United Nations officials or experts on mission, to consider any appropriate measures that may facilitate the possible use of information and material for purposes of criminal proceedings initiated by States, bearing in mind due process considerations;

Encourages the United Nations, when allegations against United Nations officials and experts on mission are determined by a United Nations administrative investigation to be unfounded, to take appropriate measures, in the interests of the Organization, to restore the credibility and reputation of such officials and experts on mission;

Urges the United Nations to continue cooperating with States exercising jurisdiction in order to provide them, within the framework of the relevant rules of international law and agreements governing activities of the United Nations, with information and material for purposes of criminal proceedings initiated by States;

Emphasizes that the United Nations, in accordance with the applicable rules of the Organization, should take no action that would retaliate against or intimidate United Nations officials and experts on mission who report allegations concerning crimes of a serious nature committed by United Nations officials and experts on mission;

Takes note with appreciation of the information provided by Governments in response to its resolution 62/63;

Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its sixty-fourth session on the implementation of the present resolution, in particular with respect to paragraphs 3, 5 and 9 above, as well as any practical problems in its implementation, on the basis of information received from Governments and the Secretariat;

Also requests the Secretary-General to include in the report information on the number and types of credible allegations and any actions taken by the United Nations and its Member States regarding crimes of a serious nature committed by United Nations officials and experts on mission;

Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its sixty-fourth session the item entitled “Criminal accountability of United Nations officials and experts on mission”.

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What does this mandate say?

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