The European Commission has requested Council authorisation to lead negotiations on behalf of the European Union for a new United Nations multilateral convention on protecting persons in disasters, according to a recommendation published on 28 July 2026. The formal negotiating session is scheduled for 25 January to 12 February 2027 in Manila, with a possible additional two-week session in August 2027. The convention, to be concluded by the end of 2027 under UN General Assembly Resolution 79/128 of December 2024, builds on the International Law Commission's 2016 Draft Articles on the protection of persons in the event of disasters.
The Commission's recommendation, designated COM(2026)401, requests authorisation under Article 218(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which governs the negotiation and conclusion of international agreements. The Commission would act as the EU negotiator, consulting the Council Working Party on Public International Law (COJUR) throughout the process. The EU submitted its own amendment proposals in December 2025, and 26 states—including eight EU member states (Germany, France, Ireland, Slovenia, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland)—also submitted proposals, which were compiled after the UN General Assembly Sixth Committee session of 6-10 April 2026.
The Commission emphasises that the convention must align with existing EU law, notably Decision 1313/2013/EU establishing the Union Civil Protection Mechanism and Regulation 1257/96 concerning humanitarian aid. The recommendation states that the negotiations have no budgetary implications, with any additional workload to be met through reallocation of existing resources.
The Council is now expected to decide on the authorisation request. If granted, the Commission will lead EU participation in the Manila negotiations, aiming to ensure consistency with EU civil protection and humanitarian aid rules while contributing to a global framework for disaster response.