Bearing in mind Article 13, paragraph 1 a, of the Charter of the United Nations,

Recalling its resolutions 1505 (XV) of 12 December 1960, 1686 (XVI) of 18 December 1961 and 1815 (XVII) of 18 December 1962, which affirm the importance of encouraging the progressive development of international law and its codification and making it a more effective means of furthering the purposes and principles set forth in Articles 1 and 2 of the Charter,

Having decided in paragraph 2 of resolution 1815 (XVII) to undertake, pursuant to Article 13 of the Charter, a study of the principles of international law concerning friendly relations and co-operation among States in accordance with the Charter with a view to their progressive development and codification, so as to secure their more effective application, and accordingly to study at the eighteenth session the four principles enumerated in paragraph 3 thereof,

1.Decides to establish a Special Committee on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation among States - composed of Member States to be appointed by the President of the General Assembly, taking into consideration the principle of equitable geographical representation and the necessity that the principal legal systems of the world should be represented - which would draw up a report containing, for the purpose of the progressive development and codification of the four principles so as to secure their more effective application, the conclusions of its study and its recommendations, taking into account in particular:

1. The practice of the United Nations and of States in the application of the principles established in the Charter of the United Nations;

2. The comments submitted by Governments on this subject in accordance with paragraph 4 of resolution 1815 (XVII);

3. The views and suggestions advanced by the representatives of Member States during the seventeenth and eighteenth sessions of the General Assembly;

2.Recommends the Governments of the States designated members of the Special Committee, in view of the general importance and the technical aspect of the item. to appoint jurists as their representatives on the Special Committee;

3.Requests the Special Committee to start its work as soon as possible and to submit its report to the General Assembly at its nineteenth session;

4.Requests the Secretary-General to co-operate with the Special Committee in its work, and to provide all the services and facilities necessary for its meetings, including:

1. A systematic summary of the comments, statements, proposals and suggestions of Member States on this item;

2. A systematic summary of the practice of the United Nations and of views expressed in the United Nations by Member States in respect of the four principles;

3. Such other material as he deems relevant;

5.Decides to place an item entitled "Consideration of principles of international law concerning friendly relations and co-operation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations" on the provisional agenda of itsú nineteenth session in order to consider the report of the Special Committee and to study, in accordance with operative paragraphs 2 and 3 (d) of resolution 1815 (XVII), the following principles:

1. The duty of States to co-operate with one another in accordance with the Charter;

2. The principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples;

3. The principle that States shall fulfil in good faith the obligations assumed by them in accordance with the Charter;

6.Invites Member States to submit in writing to the Secretary-General, before 1 July 1964, any views or suggestions they may have regarding the principles enumerated in paragraph 5 above, and further urges those Member States which have not already done so to submit by that date their views in accordance with paragraph 4 of resolution 1815 (XVII);

7.Requests the Secretary-General to communicate to Member States, before the beginning of the nineteenth session, the comments requested in paragraph 6 above.

1281st plenary meeting
16 December 1963

The President of the General Assembly, in pursuance of paragraph 1 of the above resolution, appointed the members of the Special Committee on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation among States./6

The Special Committee will be composed of the following Member States: Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Cameroon, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Dahomey, France, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Madagascar, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, United Arab Republic, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Venezuela and Yugoslavia.