United Nations General Assembly A/RES/61/29 Distr.: General 18 December 2006 Sixty-first session Agenda item 33 Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 4 December 2006 [on the report of the Sixth Committee (A/61/450)] 61/29. Criminal accountability of United Nations officials and experts on mission The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 59/281 of 29 March 2005, in which it endorsed the recommendation in paragraph 56 of the report of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations 1 that the Secretary-General make available to the United Nations membership a comprehensive report on the issue of sexual exploitation and abuse in United Nations peacekeeping operations, Noting that the Secretary-General, on 24 March 2005, transmitted to the President of the General Assembly a report of his Adviser concerning sexual exploitation and abuse by United Nations peacekeeping personnel, 2 Recalling its resolution 59/300 of 22 June 2005 endorsing the recommendation of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations 3 that a group of legal experts be established to provide advice on the best way to proceed so as to ensure that the original intent of the Charter of the United Nations can be achieved, namely that United Nations staff and experts on mission would never be effectively exempt from the consequences of criminal acts committed at their duty station, nor unjustly penalized, in accordance with due process, Noting the report of the Group of Legal Experts established by the Secretary-General pursuant to resolution 59/300, 4 Convinced of the need for the United Nations to take strong and effective steps in this regard, 1. Decides to establish an Ad Hoc Committee, open to all States Members of the United Nations or members of specialized agencies or of the International Atomic Energy Agency, for the purpose of considering the report of the Group of Legal Experts, in particular its legal aspects; _______________ 1 See Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-ninth Session, Supplement No. 19 (A/59/19/Rev.1), part one, chap. III, sect. D. 2 See A/59/710. 3 See Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifth-ninth Session, Supplement No. 19 (A/59/19/Rev.1), part two, chap. II, sect. N. 4 See A/60/980. 06-49617