Professional Documents
Culture Documents
CONVENTION
ON THE PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES
OF THE UNITED NATIONS
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(a) the United Nations may hold duties and from taxes on the sale of
funds, gold or currency of any kind and movable and immovable property
operate accounts in any currency; which form part of the price to be paid,
nevertheless when the United Nations is
(b) the United Nations shall be
making important purchases for official
free to transfer its funds, gold or
use of property on which such duties
currency from one country to another or
and taxes have been charged or are
within any country and to convert any
chargeable, Members will, whenever
currency held by it into any other
possible, make appropriate
currency.
administrative arrangements for the
remission or return of the amount of
Section 6. In exercising its rights
duty or tax.
under section 5 above, the
United Nations shall pay due regard to
any representations made by the Article III
Government of any Member insofar as
it is considered that effect can be given FACILITIES IN RESPECT OF
to such representations without COMMUNICATIONS
detriment to the interests of the
United Nations. Section 9. The United Nations
shall enjoy in the territory of each
Section 7. The United Nations, Member for its official communications
its assets, income and other property treatment not less favourable than that
shall be : accorded by the Government of that
Member to any other Government
(a) exempt from all direct taxes; including its diplomatic mission in the
it is understood, however, that the matter of priorities, rates and taxes on
United Nations will not claim mails, cables, telegrams, radiograms,
exemption from taxes which are, telephotos, telephone and other
in fact, no more than charges for public communications; and press rates for
utility services; information to the press and radio.
(b) exempt from customs duties No censorship shall be applied to the
and prohibitions and restrictions on official correspondence and other
imports and exports in respect of official communications of the
articles imported or exported by the United Nations.
United Nations for its official use. It is
understood, however, that articles Section 10. The United Nations
imported under such exemption will not shall have the right to use codes and to
be sold in the country into which they despatch and receive its correspondence
were imported except under conditions by courier or in bags, which shall have
agreed with the Government of that the same immunities and privileges as
country; diplomatic couriers and bags.
(c) exempt from customs duties
and prohibitions and restrictions on
Article IV
imports and exports in respect of its
publications. THE REPRESENTATIVES OF MEMBERS
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subsidiary organs of the United Nations principal and subsidiary organs of the
and to conferences convened by the United Nations and to conferences
United Nations, shall, while exercising convened by the United Nations,
their functions and during their journey complete freedom of speech and
to and from the place of meeting, enjoy independence in the discharge of their
the following privileges and duties, the immunity from legal process
immunities : in respect of words spoken or written
and all acts done by them in
(a) immunity from personal arrest discharging their duties shall continue
of detention and from seizure of their to be accorded, notwithstanding that the
personal baggage, and, in respect of persons concerned are no longer the
words spoken or written and all acts representatives of Members.
done by them in their capacity as
representatives, immunity from legal Section 13. Where the incidence
process of every kind; of any form of taxation depends upon
(b) inviolability for all papers and residence, periods during which the
documents; representatives of Members to the
principal and subsidiary organs of the
(c) the right to use codes and to United Nations and to conferences
receive papers or correspondence by convened by the United Nations are
courier or in sealed bags; present in a state for the discharge of
(d) exemption in respect of their duties shall not be considered as
themselves and their spouses from periods of residence.
immigration restrictions, alien
registration or national service Section 14. Privileges and
obligations in the state they are visiting immunities are accorded to the
or through which they are passing in the representatives of Members not for the
exercise of their functions; personal benefit of the individuals
themselves, but in order to safeguard
(e) the same facilities in respect of
the independent exercise of their
currency or exchange restrictions as are
functions in connection with the
accorded to representatives of foreign
United Nations. Consequently a
governments on temporary official
Member not only has the right but is
missions;
under a duty to waive the immunity of
(f) the same immunities and its representative in any case where in
facilities in respect of their personal the opinion of the Member the
baggage as are accorded to diplomatic immunity would impede the course of
envoys, and also justice, and it can be waived without
(g) such other privileges, prejudice to the purpose for which the
immunities and facilities not immunity is accorded.
inconsistent with the foregoing as
diplomatic envoys enjoy, except that Section 15. The provisions of
they shall have no right to claim sections 11, 12 and 13 are not
exemption from customs duties on applicables between a representative
goods imported (otherwise than as part and the authorities of the State of which
of their personal baggage) or from he is a national or of which he is or has
excise duties or sales taxes. been the representative.
Section 12. In order to secure, for Section 16. In this article the
the representatives of Members to the expression "representatives" shall be
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deemed to include all delegates, deputy time of international crisis as
delegates, advisers, technical experts diplomatic envoys;
and secretaries of delegations. (g) have the right to import free of
duty their furniture and effects at the
time of first taking up their post in the
Article V
country in question.
OFFICIALS
Section 19. In addition to the
Section 17. The Secretary- immunities and privileges specified in
General will specify the categories of section 18, the Secretary-General and
officials to which the provisions of this all Assistant Secretaries-General shall
article and article VII shall apply. be accorded in respect of themselves,
He shall submit these categories to the their spouses and minor children, the
General Assembly. Thereafter these privileges and immunities exemptions
categories shall be communicated to the and facilities accorded to diplomatic
Governements of all Members. envoys, in accordance with
The mames of the officials included in international law.
these categories shall from time to time
be made known to the Governments of Section 20. Privileges and
Members. immunities are granted to officials in
the interests of the United Nations and
Section 18. Officials of the not for the personal benefit of the
United Nations shall : individuals themsleves. The
Secretary-General shall have the right
(a) be immune from legal process and the duty to waive the immunity of
in respect of words spoken or written any official in any case where, in his
and all acts performed by them in their opinion, the immunity would impede
official capacity; the course of justice and can be waived
without prejudice to the interests of the
(b) be exempt from taxation on the
United Nations. In the case of the
salaries and emoluments paid to them
Secretary-General, the Security Council
by the United Nations;
shall have the right to waive immunity.
(c) be immune from national
service obligations; Section 21. The United Nations
(d) be immune, together with their shall cooperate at all times with the
spouses and relatives dependent on appropriate authorities of Members to
them, from immigration restrictions and facilitate the proper administration of
alien registration; justice, secure the observance of police
regulations and prevent the occurrence
(e) be accorded the same of any abuse in connection with the
privileges in respect of exchange privileges, immunities and facilities
facilities as are accorded to the officials mentioned in this article.
of comparable ranks forming part of
diplomatic missions to the Government
concerned;
(f) be given, together with their
spouses and relatives dependent on
them, the same repatriation facilities in
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Article VI Section 23. Privileges and
immunities are granted to experts in the
EXPERTS ON MISSIONS FOR THE
interests of the United Nations and not
UNITED NATIONS for the personal benefit of the
individuals themselves. The
Section 22. Experts (other than Secretary-General shall have the right
officials coming within the scope of and the duty to waive the immunity of
article V) performing missions for the any expert in any case where, in his
United Nations shall be accorded such opinion, the immunity would impede
privileges and immunities as are the course of justice and it can be
necessary for the independent exercise waived without prejudice to the
of their functions during the period of interests of the United Nations.
their missions, including the time spent
on journeys in connection with their
missions. In particular they shall be Article VII
accorded :
UNITED NATIONS LAISSEZ-PASSER
(a) immunity from personal arrest
or detention and from seizure of their Section 24. The United Nations
personal baggage; may issue United Nations laissez-passer
to its officials. These laissez-passers
(b) in respect of words spoken or
shall be recognized and accepted as
written and acts done by them in the
valid travel documents by the
course of the performance of their
authorities of Members, taking into
mission, immunity from legal process
account the provision of section 25.
of every kind. This immunity from
legal process shall continue to be
Section 25. Applications for visas
accorded notwithstanding that the
(where required) from the holders of
persons concerned are no longer
United Nations laissez-passer, when
employed on missions for the United
accompanied by a certificate that they
Nations;
are travelling on the business of the
(c) inviolability for all papers and United Nations, shall be dealt with as
documents; speedily as possible. In addition, such
(d) for the purpose of their persons shall be granted facilities for
communications with the speedy travel.
United Nations, the right to use codes
and to receive papers or correspondence Section 26. Similar facilities to
by courier or in sealed bags; those specified in section 25 shall be
accorded to experts and other persons
(e) the same facilities in respect of who, though not be holders of
currency or exchange restrictions as are United Nations laissez-passer, have a
accorded to representatives of foreign certificate that they are travelling on the
governments on temporary official business of the United Nations.
missions;
(f) the same immunities and Section 27. The Secretary-
facilities in respect of their personal General, Assistant Secretaries-General
baggage as are accorded to diplomatic and Directors travelling on United
envoys. Nations laissez-passer on the business
of the United Nations shall be granted
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the same facilities as are accorded to Final article
diplomatic envoys.
Section 31. This convention is
Section 28. The provisions of this submitted to every Member of the
article may be applied to the United Nations for accession.
comparable officials of specialized
agencies if the agreements for Section 32. Accession shall be
relationship made under Article 63 of effected by deposit of an instrument
the Charter so provide. with the Secretary-General of the
United Nations and the Convention
shall come into force as regards each
Article VIII Member on the date of deposit of each
SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES instrument of accession.
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