At the beginning
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The Office of Legal Affairs (OLA) of the United Nations was established in 1946 ( of 13 February 1946) as the Legal Department in the United Nations Secretariat.
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The Legal Department was headed by an Assistant Secretary-General, and consisted of the Office of this official, the Division of General Legal Problems, the Division for the Development and Codification of International Law, the Division of Immunities and Registration of Treaties (see Yearbook of the United Nations 1946-1947, page 630).
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In 1954, the Legal Department was reorganized into the Office of Legal Affairs (OLA), to more accurately reflect its role in providing legal advice to the Secretary-General and acting on the Secretary-General鈥檚 behalf in legal matters (see Yearbook of the United Nations 1954, pages and ).
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The International Trade Law Branch within OLA was established in 1967, and in 1992 the Office for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea was integrated into OLA.
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Today, the Office of Legal Affairs is headed by the Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and United Nations Legal Counsel , and counts with seven Offices and Divisions: the Office of the Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, the Office of the Legal Counsel, the General Legal Division, the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, the Codification Division, the International Trade Law Division and the Treaty Section.
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