Justice Action Coalition Statement at the 81st Session of the General Assembly

The statement stresses that international law and national justice systems reinforce each other, and that the rule of law means something only when ordinary people can know, use, and shape the law that affects their everyday lives. It calls for closer cooperation between the Sixth Committee and the International Law Commission, and for the experience of national justice systems to inform how international law is developed and codified. It also highlights the challenges that artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies pose for justice systems, pointing to the Justice Action Coalition’s Thematic Track on AI and Emerging Technologies, co-led by the Dominican Republic and the World Bank. It frames access to justice for all as central to the rule of law at both the national and international levels.

Sixth Committee (Legal),

81^st session of the General Assembly of the United Nations

Agenta Item 84: The rule of law at the national and international levels

Delivered by H.E. Wellington Bencosme, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations

New York, New York

Thank you, Chair,

I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Justice Action Coalition, a multi-stakeholder, cross-regional group that includes 19 countries and 24 organizations committed to advancing the rule of law and equal access to justice for All.

I deliver this statement with regards for the work of the International Law Commission, and I welcome the opportunity to reflect on how the Sixth Committee and the Commission can work more closely together. Seventy-eight years after its establishment, the International Law Commission remains one of the principal engines of the progressive development and codification of international law. Yet the strength of the International Law Commission, and the rule of law it helps to sustain, depends not only on the existence of substantive law, but on how those rules are implemented in practice, and whether people can know, use, and shape the law that impacts their everyday lives.

Ms/Mr. Chair,

International law is advanced through national justice systems which include institutions, civil society organizations, and communities. In turn, everyday justice problems that people experience, such as disputes over land and housing, family or interpersonal conflicts, or barriers to economic, political and social inclusion, are shaped by the same principles of legality, fairness, and accountability. Access to justice for all requires us to measure success not only by the existence of substantive law, but also by whether ordinary people can access fair and effective remedies. This is not a parallel agenda to the work of this Committee and of the Commission, it is a necessary condition for the rule of law to be meaningful in practice, and credible in nature at all levels.

Strengthening the cooperation between the Sixth Committee and the International Law Commission is an opportunity to ensure that the work of the International Law Commission find resonance in courtrooms, alternative dispute resolution, community justice mechanisms, and administrative offices around the world. The Justice Action Coalition therefore welcomes the efforts to deepen dialogue between the Commission and this Committee, including through the report of the Chair of the Commission, informal exchanges with Special Rapporteurs, and engagement of Member States with the Commission’s work throughout the year, and not only during the annual debate.

Ms./Mr. Chair,

The Justice Action Coalition believes that the rule of law is strengthened when international law and national justice systems are understood as mutually reinforcing. International law does not operate in the abstract: it is interpreted, implemented, and given effect through national institutions, courts, administrative bodies, civil society organizations, and communities. At the same time, strong and accessible domestic legal systems contribute to the credibility and resilience of the international rule of law. The connection therefore runs in both directions, and closer attention to the realities in which international law operates can help ensure that the progressive development and codification of international law remains responsive to the people and institutions it ultimately serves.

We see an opportunity to strengthen this connection by bringing the experience of domestic justice systems into dialogue with the work of the Sixth Committee and the International Law Commission. Examining the everyday justice challenges experienced by individuals and communities, as well as the barriers faced by courts and justice service providers, can provide valuable perspectives on how international legal norms are interpreted and implemented in practice. Likewise, developments in international law can help inform national efforts to strengthen access to justice. We therefore encourage continued engagement between the Commission, Member States, and those working at the domestic level to ensure that the development of international law is informed by the realities in which it operates.

This connection will also become increasingly important as justice systems respond to new and evolving challenges, including the use of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. As new technologies are increasingly used by courts, public administrations and other justice institutions, questions of accountability, transparency, non-discrimination and due process are becoming increasingly important. These questions will need to be addressed through existing legal frameworks, national practice and international cooperation. The Justice Action Coalition’s Thematic Track on AI and Emerging Technologies, co-led by the Dominican Republic and the World Bank, provides one example of how experiences from justice systems can contribute to this broader conversation. The Track brings together governments, judiciaries, civil society, academia and technical experts to share experiences and identify safeguards that can help ensure that innovation strengthens, rather than undermines, the rule of law, democracy, and the public interest.

Ms. / Mr. Chair,

The Justice Action Coalition therefore sees value in continuing to strengthen the dialogue between the national and international dimensions of the rule of law. As the international community considers the progressive development and codification of international law, it is important that this work remains connected to the institutions and people through which international law is implemented and experienced. We stand ready to contribute the perspectives and evidence emerging from work across justice systems, including on new challenges such as AI and emerging technologies, to support this connection.

Eighty-one years after the founding of the United Nations, the relationship between the Sixth Committee and the International Law Commission remains central to ensuring that international law keeps pace with the needs of people and the challenges of our time. The Justice Action Coalition remains committed to supporting this cooperation, and to ensuring that access to justice remains central to the rule of law, at both the national and international levels.

I thank you.