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5.5 The Work of the ILC’s Special Rapporteur
5.5.1 The First Report
The Human Rights Commission’s General Comment No.24(52), was as quoted
above, adopted in 1994, the same year the International Law Commission , ILC,
appointed a Special Rapporteur, Alain Pellet, to review the topic. This is a
laborious and time-consuming task, and there have already been five reports,
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but it is still uncertain when to expect the last and “final” report. In his first report,
the Special Rapporteur briefly examined the problems to which the topic gives
rise, noting that where reservations are concerned there are gaps and ambiguities
in the relevant Vienna Conventions,
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which meant that the topic should be
considered further in the light of the practice of states and international
organisations.
To have a clear picture of such practice, the Special Rapporteur prepared two
questionnaires on reservations to treaties, to ascertain the practice of states and
international organisations and the problems encountered by them. In a resolution
in December 1995,
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the GA invited states and international organisations,
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Redgwell, p. 392.
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G.C. No. 24(52) (CCPR/C/21/Rev.1/Add.6/para. 20).
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As far as I know at least. These five reports have come during the period 30 May 1995 to
29 March 2000, disregarding the numerous addendums and corrections to the reports, just
counting the main reports.
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Convention of 1969 on the Law of Treaties, Convention of 1978 on Succession of States
in respect of Treaties, and Convention of 1986 on the Law of Treaties between States and
International Organisations or between International Organisations. See A/CN.4/491,
chapter II, paras. 91-149.
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GA Res. 50/45 of 11 December 1995, para. 5.

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