legal.un.orgUnited Nations - Office of Legal Affairs

Overview Mission History Employment Contact FRANÇAIS Charter of the United Nations UN International Law Page UN Rule of Law website UN Treaty Collection Legal Research Guide Repertory of Practice of United Nations Organs AudioVisual Library of International Law ' On Tuesday 4 February 2020, Yale Law School organized a conversation between United Nations Legal Counsel, Mr. Miguel Serpa Soares, and Harold Hongju Koh, Sterling Professor of International Law. Learn more On 3 February 2020, Mr. Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and United Nations Legal Counsel, delivered opening remarks at the first plenary meeting of the fifty-second session of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. Learn more The celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child presents an opportunity to reflect on the progress made by the international community regarding the rights of the child since its adoption, in 1989, as well as the challenges that remain in achieving its full implementation. Learn more On Friday 15 November 2019, the Treaty Section of the Office of Legal Affairs organized the "Seminar on Treaty Law and Practice: The Work of the Treaty Section of the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs" Learn more On 13 November 2019, the Office of Legal Affairs organized a lunch and learn series for staff members with a presentation by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) New York, NY. Learn more At the invitation of the American Society of International Law, the Legal Counsel participated in discussions with students, international law practitioners and academics at Brooklyn Law School on 8 November 2019. Learn more United Nations Legal Counsel, Mr. Miguel de Serpa Soares, participates in the International Law Weekend 2019, held in New York, NY. Learn more United Nations Legal Counsel, Mr. Miguel de Serpa Soares, participates in the Second World Meeting of Societies for International Law, held in The Hague, Netherlands Learn more At the invitation Mr. Roman Kolodkin, Judge at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea who is also a Member of the Advisory Board of the International and Comparative Law Research Center, the United Nations Legal Counsel, Mr. Miguel de Serpa Soares, visited Moscow from 5 to 8 August 2019, Learn more On 24 and 25 July, the United Nations Legal Counsel, Mr. Miguel de Serpa Soares, visited Kingston, Jamaica. The main purpose of Mr. Serpa Soares's visit to Kingston was to participate in the events commemorating the 25th anniversary of the entry into force of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the establishment of the International Seabed Authority, alongside Heads of State and Government, ministers, Learn more From 17 to 19 June 2019, the United Nations Legal Counsel, Mr. Miguel de Serpa Soares, visited London, United Kingdom. The main purpose of Mr. Serpa Soares's visit to London was to chair the 2019 meeting of the Legal Advisers of the Specialized, Related and other Organizations of the United Nations System. Learn more On 10 and 11 June 2019, The Office of Legal Affairs (OLA) hosted an annual meeting of the Senior Legal Advisors and Legal Advisers of UN peace operations at United Nations Headquarters in New York. Learn more During the week of 3 to 9 June 2019, the Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and the United Nations Legal Counsel, Mr. Miguel de Serpa Soares, led and participated in United Nations World Oceans Day at the United Nations Headquarters and a number of events throughout New York City marking World Oceans Week. Learn more United Nations Legal Counsel, Mr. Miguel de Serpa Soares, made a statement by video conference at the 3473rd meeting of the International Law Commission, held on 4 June 2019, in which he provided information on the activities of the Office of Legal Affairs as well as regarding recent developments in international law, in the context of the United Nations. An exchange of views followed Learn more United Nations Legal Counsel, Mr. Miguel de Serpa Soares, introduces and moderates a panel discussion on the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia on 31 May 2019. Learn more On 23 May 2019, United Nations Legal Counsel, Mr. Miguel de Serpa Soares, participated as keynote speaker at an event celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, co-organized by the Permanent Missions of Canada and Colombia to the United Nations. Learn more United Nations Legal Counsel, Mr. Miguel de Serpa Soares, visited People's Republic of China from 23 to 26 April 2019. Learn more On 20 March 2019, United Nations Legal Counsel, Mr. Miguel de Serpa Soares, addresses the 36th Annual Seminar on International Humanitarian Law for Legal Advisers and other Diplomats Accredited to the United Nations Learn more United Nations Legal Counsel makes working visits to The Hague (the Netherlands) and Brussels (Belgium) from 16 to 25 January 2019. Learn more From 14 to 19 November 2018, the United Nations Legal Counsel, Mr. Miguel de Serpa Soares, visited Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia, to attend the delivery of the judgement by the Trial Chamber of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) in Case 002/02 against NUON Chea and KHIEU Samphan, and Bangkok, Kingdom of Thailand, and to open the Regional Course in International Law for Asia-Pacific Learn more International Law Week and 29th Informal Meeting of Legal Advisers Learn more United Nations Legal Counsel visits Banjul (The Gambia), Dakar (Senegal) and Paris (France) Learn more United Nations Legal Counsel participates in the 57th Annual Session of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization in Tokyo, Japan Learn more United Nations Legal Counsel, Mr. Serpa Soares, convened the Office of Legal Affairs (OLA) for a Town Hall meeting. Colleagues from the International Trade Law Division based in Vienna participated via video link Learn more Visit of the United Nations Legal Counsel to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Hamburg and the VII Colloquium of the International Association of the Law of the Sea in Lisbon Learn more 1st Session of the Intergovernmental Conference on 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 of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Learn more United Nations Legal Counsel visits Geneva, Switzerland, Vienna, Austria, and The Hague, Netherlands Learn more United Nations Legal Counsel opens 51st session of UNCITRAL Learn more United Nations Legal Counsel meets with Nippon Foundation Fellows Learn more OLA hosts annual meeting of Field Legal Advisers at UNHQ Learn more United Nations Legal Counsel, Mr. Serpa Soares participated in the opening of the 28th Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea Learn more As Focal Point for UN Oceans, United Nations Legal Counsel, Mr. Serpa Soares participated in several events on World Oceans Day Learn more United Nations Legal Counsel, Mr. Serpa Soares, participates in commemorative events to mark the 70th session of the International Law Commission Learn more United Nations Legal Counsel, Mr. Serpa Soares, hosts the leadership of the American Bar Association. Learn more On 16th April 2018, the Legal Counsel of the United Nations, Mr. Serpa Soares, opened the Intergovernmental Conference on an international legally Learn more From 8th to 10th April 2018, the Legal Counsel of the United Nations, Mr. Serpa Soares, visited Baghdad at the invitation of the Government of the Republic of Iraq Learn more From 14 to 16 March 2018, the Legal Counsel of the United Nations, Mr. Serpa Soares, visited Washington, D.C. On this mission, the Legal Counsel was accompanied by his Deputy, Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, Mr. Stephen Mathias. Learn more The legal Counsel ...