Following a request by the International Law Commission, the General Assembly, in resolution 987 (X) of 3 December 1955, requested the Secretary-General to arrange for publishing an annual publication entitled Yearbook of the International Law Commission, containing the principal documents and summary records relating to each ILC session. It has since been published annually in two volumes in respect of each session.

Volume I contains summary records of the International Law Commission sessions on such subjects as: arbitral procedures, diplomatic immunities, Law of the Sea, nationality, Law of Treaties and Rights and Duties of States. Volume II contains reports of Special Rapporteurs and documents relating to the subjects discussed in Volume I including the report of the General Assembly.

The Yearbook of the International Law Commission is comprised of two volumes. This volume, Volume II, contains summary records of the International Law Commission sessions on such subjects as: state responsibility, draft code of crimes against the peace and security of mankind, international liability for injurous consequences arising of acts not prohibited by international law, the law and practice relating to reservations to treaties, state succession and its impact on the nationality of natural and legal persons.

The International Law Commission was established in 1947 with a view to carrying out the responsibility of the General Assembly, under article 13(1)(a) of the Charter of the United Nations, to “initiate studies and make recommendations for the purpose of ... encouraging the progressive development of international law and its codification.” Since its first session in 1949, the Commission has considered a wide-range of topics of international law and made a number of proposals for its codification and progressive development, some of which have served as the basis for the subsequent adoption of major multilateral treaties. The Yearbook of the International Law Commission contains the official records of the Commission and is an indispensable tool for the preservation of the legislative history of the documents emanating from the Commission, as well as for the teaching, study, dissemination and wider appreciation of the efforts undertaken by the Commission in the progressive development of international law and its codification. Volume II (Part One) reproduces the edited versions of the official documents considered by the Commission at the respective annual session.

Decisions of the International Law Commission during its fiftieth session (1998) as regards the following topics: State responsibility; unilateral acts of States; nationality in relation to the succession of States; prevention of transboundary damage from hazardous activities; diplomatic protection; reservations to treaties and long-term programme of work of the Commission.

The International Law Commission was established in 1947 with a view to carrying out the responsibility of the General Assembly, under article 13(1)(a) of the Charter of the United Nations, to “initiate studies and make recommendations for the purpose of ... encouraging the progressive development of international law and its codification.” Since its first session in 1949, the Commission has considered a wide-range of topics of international law and made a number of proposals for its codification and progressive development, some of which have served as the basis for the subsequent adoption of major multilateral treaties. The Yearbook of the International Law Commission contains the official records of the Commission and is an indispensable tool for the preservation of the legislative history of the documents emanating from the Commission, as well as for the teaching, study, dissemination and wider appreciation of the efforts undertaken by the Commission in the progressive development of international law and its codification. Volume II (Part One) reproduces the edited versions of the official documents considered by the Commission at the respective annual session.