Legal Committee LEGAL

The Legal Committee is the Sixth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly. It is the primary forum for examining and advancing legal issues in the Programme of the General Assembly throughout all countries and regions. In particular, LEGAL provides member states with a structured platform to deliberate on international legal frameworks to establish a global rule of law and address issues like state sovereignty, immunity, and the resolution of disputes. This year, the thematic topic of LEGAL will be addressing international law in evolving contexts. It aims to explore how the UN can modernize legal frameworks to address challenges posed by underdeveloped or rapidly changing frameworks.

TOPIC A: Regulation on the Misuse of Space
The rapid expansion into outer space as an area of scientific research, economic development, and potential militarization has outpaced the development of comprehensive international legal regimes. While framework agreements like the Outer Space Treaty and recent initiatives like NASA’s Artemis Accords provide some governance structure, significant gaps exist in territorial claims, rights of resource exploitation, and space debris control. Major space-faring countries are pressing on with their capabilities, launching satellites, visiting planets, and generating orbital debris, frequently with little international restriction or responsibility. Meanwhile, non-space-faring countries are becoming increasingly marginalized from decision-making regarding the global commons of outer space, even as they bear environmental and economic costs generated by others’ activities. This theme challenges delegates to critically examine existing treaty regimes, assess the implications of unilateral space policies, and develop proposals for an equitable, binding legal regime that reconciles technological innovation, national security interests, and the long-term sustainability of human activity in the realm beyond Earth.

TOPIC B: International Labor Law
The globalization of labor markets and the rise of transnational corporations have rapidly outpaced the development of effective international legal frameworks. While international law efforts like the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights aim to set some standards in place, major issues remain with enforcement and accountability. Multinational conglomerates are trending towards exploiting judicial disparities, outsourcing production to countries with weak labor protections, and limited access to legal remedies. At the same time, states that export large numbers of migrant workers often fail to secure their citizens’ rights abroad, leaving millions exposed to unsafe working conditions and legal marginalization. Delegates will critically examine the limits of current international law, explore the challenges of regulating corporate behavior across unique legal systems, and debate the creation of a binding international legal framework. The committee will grapple with fundamental questions of jurisdiction, feasibility, and the meaning of global labor justice—asking how international law can evolve to protect the rights and dignity of all workers, regardless of nationality or industry.

Documents