The United Nations Conference on the Protection of Persons in the Event of Disasters

Introduction

On 15 December 2025, the UN General Assembly decided to convene the United Nations Conference on the Protection of Persons in the Event of Disasters (PPED). In 2024, the General Assembly had decided to conclude a legally binding instrument on the topic. (This was discussed in detail here). However, the modalities and details of such a conference were deferred to the 80th session of the General Assembly.

This year, the General Assembly decided that the conference will take place in Manila, Philippines, from 25 January to 12 February 2027 and, if necessary, for an additional two weeks in August 2027 (the resolution adopted by the General Assembly has not yet been issued as an official UN Document, however, the draft resolution adopted by the Sixth Committee — which was ultimately adopted by the Assembly—is available in the Committee’s report under symbol A/80/456). The draft resolution was sponsored by 44 States from all regions and adopted by consensus in both the Sixth Committee and the plenary of the General Assembly. This development comes amid growing concerns about the crisis of multilateralism and international law (see here and here), prompting reflection on the role of existing institutions, including the International Law Commission (ILC), in this evolving political context.

The origin of the draft articles on PPED

The PPED project is the result of a long process within the Sixth Committee of the General Assembly, which began in 2016 when the ILC concluded its draft articles and commentaries on the topic under the leadership of the Special Rapporteur, Mr. Eduardo Valencia Ospina.

At the ILC, the topic was studied for a decade (2006–2016), initially motivated by concerns following the 2004 South Asian tsunami. Since 2016, the Sixth Committee has discussed the topic over seven sessions and held thematic debates in 2023 and 2024 on challenges and opportunities for improving the articles (see a summary of the respective chairs of such meetings in 2023 and 2024).

However, global circumstances have changed significantly since 2016. The increasing frequency and intensity of disasters have heightened the urgency of addressing this issue. The International Disaster Database (EM-DAT) of the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) has confirmed that disasters have increased from 100 per year in the 1970s to around 400 events per year in the past 20 years (see here). The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) indicated that economic losses derived from disasters have increased sevenfold from the 1970s to the 2010s (see here). Just to mention recent events which occurred as negotiators met in New York to discuss this topic in the context of the Sixth Committee: Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica and torrential rains affected South Asia in November 2025; and the DANA floods impacted southern Spain in autumn 2024. These disasters underscored the disparate impact on States and the importance of risk reduction, preparedness, and protection of vulnerable persons—not only after disasters occur but also beforehand, as reflected in the draft articles.

PPED: a topic ripe for codification via treaty

A distinctive feature of the PPED Conference is that treaty negotiations will be based on a draft text prepared by the ILC. This will mark the first time in over 25 years — since the 1998 United Nations Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Establishment of an International Criminal Court—that a UN conference of plenipotentiaries negotiates a treaty based on ILC work; after two decades that any product of the ILC has been adopted as a multilateral treaty — since the 2004 United Nations Convention on Jurisdictional Immunities of States and their property . This development follows the General Assembly’s 2024 decision to convene the United Nations Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Humanity, scheduled for 2028–2029, also based on ILC draft articles.

The ILC, established in 1947 to assist the work of the General Assembly under Article 13 of the UN Charter, has a mandate to promote the codification and progressive development of international law. Its work has historically served as the basis for major conventions, including the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961), the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963), the Vienna Conventions on the Law of Treaties (1969 and 1986), the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982), and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (1998).

In recent years, treaty-making processes under the auspices of the United Nations have also occurred under other UN bodies, such as the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), which produced the Singapore Convention on Mediation (2018), and in areas like the law of the sea (BBNJ Agreement, 2023) and cybercrime (Hanoi Convention Against Cybercrime, 2025).

For years, scholars noted the absence of treaties negotiated based on ILC draft articles and a blend of hard and soft codification (see, for example, here, here and here). Recently, the ILC’s working methods have evolved, producing outputs in various formats—conclusions (on customary international law, 2018; on jus cogens, 2022), principles (on protection of the environment in armed conflict, 2022), guidelines (on provisional application of treaties, 2021), and reports (on sea-level rise, 2025) — which were not intended for treaty-making.

The PPED Conference thus represents a partial return to the traditional form of codification through a treaty based on the work of the ILC, though it is not the only effective means of developing international law.

Existing Structures Addressing New Challenges with a Human Dimension

These developments demonstrate the continued relevance of the ILC and the Sixth Committee as platforms for codification and progressive development of international law. Today, this mandate increasingly involves adapting international law to contemporary challenges. Whether through conventions or other instruments, the ILC remains well equipped to meet these expectations by producing work grounded in State practice and engaging directly with States at the Sixth Committee.

The PPED convention is notable for its focus on persons. When the ILC included the topic in its long-term programme of work, it observed that “[t]he fact that such events become ‘disasters’ speaks more to the susceptibility of human beings to the adverse effects of natural hazards” (PPED syllabus, para. 4). The draft articles emphasize human dignity (Article 4), human rights (Article 5), and respect for humanitarian principles (Article 6). These interests are safeguarded through cooperation (Article 8) and risk reduction measures (Article 9). While the draft articles acknowledge that disasters may exceed a State’s capacity to respond, they reaffirm the primary role of the affected State (Article 10) and the importance of respecting its sovereignty.

However, the PPED draft articles are not the only instance in which the ILC has focused on persons or addressed contemporary challenges. Earlier this year, the ILC concluded the work of its Study Group on Sea‑Level Rise, which undertook to identify the legal challenges posed by climate‑change‑related sea‑level rise. Some of the Study Group’s conclusions were acknowledged by the landmark advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the obligations of States in respect of climate change in July 2025 (mentioned here).

The Study Group on Sea‑Level Rise emphasized the need for international cooperation, particularly in relation to the protection of persons — “including to protect their culture, cultural heritage, identity and dignity and to meet their essential needs.” (Final report, para. 48) This focus is consistent with the PPED draft articles’ emphasis on human dignity, human rights, and humanitarian principles. The Study Group also noted that, while there is no dedicated framework specifically addressing the impact of this phenomenon on persons, possible solutions based on existing frameworks should “include the protection of human dignity as a guiding principle for any action to be taken in the context of climate change-related sea-level rise.” (Final report, para. 44)) This is also consistent with the draft articles on PPED, as they encompass risk reduction measures while respecting the primary role and sovereignty of the affected State.

Issues for future discussion at the Sixth Committee and the Conference

Discussions of States within the PPED working group at the Sixth Committee in 2023 and 2024 highlighted issues that negotiators will address during the resumed session of the Sixth Committee in April 2026 and at the Conference in January 2027. Some of these issues have been noted in a previous post. They include broad aspects such as the definition of “disaster” in Article 3, the scope of the duty to cooperate in Article 7, and the relationship between the PPED instrument and international humanitarian law in Article 18.

Other questions raised by States refer to logistical issues of cooperation in response to disasters that are currently not addressed in detail in Article 8. They include issues:

“such as financial support, capacity building, technology transfer, and coordination in the transportation and importation of goods and services, as well as the issuance of visas for assistance personnel” (see here, para. 46).

Article 15 concerning the facilitation of external assistance also raised questions concerning practicalities:

“such as the regulation of privileges and immunities for humanitarian staff, visas, entry requirements, work permits and freedom of movement, as well as aspects related to the materials and equipment to provide assistance including customs, tariffs, taxation and transport.” (see here, para. 75)

Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 79/128, States have an opportunity until 31 December 2025 to propose amendments to the text ahead of a resumed session of the Sixth Committee in April 2026, in preparation for the conference of plenipotentiaries “to refer the consolidated text, including the draft articles and the proposals submitted by Governments”. The United Nations Secretariat will prepare a compilation of such proposals in advance of the April meeting.

Conclusion

A future convention on the Protection of Persons in the Event of has the potential to address the practical challenges of cooperation and assistance in the event of disasters. While study of the topic is not new, it has gained concrete relevance due to the increased frequency and intensity of disasters — reinforcing the need for risk reduction — and the growing emphasis on international cooperation across international law. It also carries institutional significance, illustrating the potential of existing bodies — such as the ILC — to address contemporary challenges facing humanity.

The views expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations.