Joint Nordic statement delivered by Ms. Verna Adkins,
Legal Adviser, Permanent Mission of Finland
Sixth Committee - Agenda item 76:
Responsibility of States for internationally wrongful acts
10 October, 2025

 
 




Mme/Mr Chair,

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the Nordic Countries Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and my own country, Finland on the Responsibility of States for internationally wrongful acts.

The Nordic Countries would like to thank the Secretary-General for the Report on Comments and information received from Governments on the Responsibility of States for internationally wrongful acts (A/80/156).

We would also like to thank the Secretary-General for the technical report (as Annexed to the Compilation of decisions of international courts, tribunals and other bodies which reference the articles (A/80/77)), as this report provides useful information on the effective use and status of the articles as they stand today.

In addition, we would like to thank the Secretariat for the Note containing procedural options regarding action taken on products of the International Law Commission (A/80/76).

As the updated compilation of case law demonstrates, there is broad recognition by a variety of judicial bodies of the authoritative status of the articles, and they have been referred to at an increasing rate since their inception. 

As we have said before, a multilateral convention is in general an ideal vehicle for guiding state action and creating legal certainty. However, given the delicate balance that was built into these articles and the State practice and opinio juris that has accumulated on their basis, we continue to hold the view that opening them for negotiations now would not be conducive to legal certainty. 

Before all else, we want to emphasize, again, the strong position the articles enjoy in the international legal system. As we have said before, the Nordic Countries consider that the articles in general reflect customary international law. The continuous references to them by courts and scholarly writings strengthen their position. 

The stance of the Nordic Countries to the articles on the responsibility of States for internationally wrongful acts has remained unchanged, which is reflected in our successive comments on this agenda item.

Thank you, Mme/Mr Chair.