Chapter VI. Selected legal opinions of the secretariats of the United Nations and related intergovernmental organizations

sElECTED lEgAl OPiniOns OF ThE sECRETARiATs OF ThE uniTED nATiOns AnD RElATED inTERgOvERnmEnTAl ORgAnizATiOns

1. legal opinions of the secretariat of the united nations

   (Issued .or .prepared .by .the .Office .of .Legal .Affairs)

   1. Privileges and immunities

      (a) Letter to the Acting Chair of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, United Nations, regarding immunities of civilian police and military personnel

      Privileges .and .immunities .of .civilian .police .and .military .personnel—Article .VI . of .the .Convention .on .the .Privileges .and .Immunities .of .the .United .Nations, .1946 — Model . status-of-forces . agreement . (A/4 / 94)—Status-of-mission . agreements— Civilian .police .enjoy .the .status .of .experts .performing .missions—Civilian .police . enjoy .functional .immunity—Privileges .and .immunities .are .granted .in .the .interest . of .the .Organization .and .not .for .the .personal .benefit .of .the .individual—Legal . obligation .of .the .United .Nations .to .cooperate .with .local .authorities .to .facilitate . the .administration .of .justice—Waiver .of .immunity .when .possible .without .prejudice . to . the . interest . of . the . Organization—Military . personnel . are . subject . to . the . exclusive .criminal .jurisdiction .of .the .respective .participating .State—Customary . principles . and . practices . applicable . to . peacekeeping—Military . personnel . may . be . subject . to . local . civil . jurisidction . for . acts . giving . rise . to . civil . liablity . and . committed .otherwise .than .in .the .performance .of .their .offical .functions

      This .is .in .response .to .your .letter .of .12 .April .2004 .conveying .a .request .from .the .Special . Committee .on .Peacekeeping .Operations, .“for .written .information .by .the .Office .of .Legal . Affairs .regarding .immunities .of .civilian .police .and .military .personnel ” .You .also .attached . a .list .of .questions .which .you .have .requested .that .I .use .as .guidance .when .responding

      As .far .as .civilian .police .are .concerned, .you .have .requested .that .I .use .the .following . as .guidance:

      . United .Nations, .Treaty Series, .vol .1, .p .1 , .and .vol .90, .p .327 .(corrigendum .to .vol .1)

      324 . UNITED .NATIONS .JURIDICAL .YEARBOOK .2004

      – .“The .nature .of .immunities .enjoyed .by .civilian .police .personnel .serving .under . [the] .United .Nations .flag

      – .Whether .these .immunities .differ .between .different .peace .operations .and .why

      – .The .legal .bases .for .the .above .immunities

      – .The .competent .jurisdiction .in .cases .of .civil/criminal .liability .[and] .basis .for .competence/jurisdiction ”

      United .Nations .civilian .police .officers .enjoy .the .status .of .“experts .performing .missions” .for .the .United .Nations .within .the .meaning .of .article .VI .of .the .Convention .on .the . Privileges .and .Immunities .of .the .United .Nations, .1946, .a .copy .of .which .I .attach .This . status .is .also .provided .for .in, .inter alia, .status-of-forces .agreements .(SOFAs) .or .status-of-mission .agreements .(SOMAs) .that .are .concluded .between .the .United .Nations .and .Governments .hosting .peacekeeping .operations, .as .well .as .the .model .status-of-forces .agreement . (A/4 / 94) .SOFAs .and .SOMAs .reviewed .by .this .Office .follow .the .model .status-of-forces . agreement .and .the .Convention .by .consistently .affording .to .United .Nations .civilian .police . the .status .of .experts .on .mission .If .no .status-of-forces .agreement .has .been .concluded .and . the .model .status-of-forces .agreement .has .not .been .made .applicable .by .the .Security .Council .resolution .authorizing .the .operation, .then .the .status .of .civilian .police .officers .remains . governed .by .the .Convention

      The .chapeau .of .article .VI, .section .22, .of .the .Convention .provides .as .follows:

      “Experts .(other .than .officials .coming .within .the .scope .of .[a]rticle .V) .performing . missions .for .the .United .Nations .shall .be .accorded .such .privileges .and .immunities .as .are . necessary .for .the .independent .exercise .of .their .functions .during .the .period .of .their .missions, .including .the .time .spent .on .journeys .in .connection .with .their .missions ”

      As .experts .performing .missions .for .the .United .Nations, .civilian .police .officers .enjoy . “functional .immunity”, .that .is, .immunity .for .purposes .of .the .official .acts .done .by .them .in . the .course .of .the .performance .of .their .official .functions .Their .privileges .and .immunities, . which .include .immunity .from .personal .arrest .and .detention, .are .granted .solely .to .enable . them .to .perform .their .official .functions .These .privileges .and .immunities .are .granted .in . the .interests .of .the .Organization .and .are .not .for .the .personal .benefit .of .the .individuals . themselves .United .Nations .civilian .police .officers .may .therefore .be .made .subject .to .local . civil .and .criminal .jurisdiction .for .acts .committed .by .them .in .the .host .country .that .are . done .by .them .otherwise .than .in .the .performance .of .their .official .functions

      In .this .regard, .the .United .Nations .has .a .legal .obligation .to .cooperate .with .the .appropriate .local .authorities .to .facilitate .the .proper .administration .of .justice .Under .article .VI . of .the .Convention, .the .Secretary-General .has .the .right .and .duty .to .waive .the .immunity .of . any .expert .on .mission, .including .civilian .police .officers, .in .any .case .where, .in .his .opinion, . this .immunity .would .impede .the .course .of .justice, .and .it .can .be .waived .without .prejudice . to .the .interests .of .the .United .Nations .It .is .therefore .possible .and .consistent .with .the .Convention .and .the .model .status-of-forces .agreement, .that .a .United .Nations .civilian .police . officer .be .prosecuted .in .the .host .State .for .a .criminal .act, .even .if .committed .in .the .course . of .performing .his .or .her .functions, .where .immunity .for .that .act .would .impede .the .course . of .justice .and .that .immunity .can .properly .be .waived

      . The .Convention .is .not .reproduced .herein .

      . chapter .VI . 325

      As .far .as .the .military .members .of .military .components .serving .in .a .peacekeeping . operation .are .concerned, .you .have .requested .that .I .use .the .following .as .guidance:

      – .“The .nature .of .immunities .enjoyed .by .military .personnel .serving .under .[the] . United .Nations .flag

      – .Whether .these .immunities .differ .between .different .peace .operations .and .why

      – .The .legal .bases .for .the .above .immunities

      – .The .competent .jurisdiction .in .cases .of .civil/criminal .liability .[and] .basis .for .competence/jurisdiction ”

      Military .personnel .of .military .components .who .serve .in .United .Nations .peacekeeping .operations .under .the .authority .of .the .Secretary-General .are, .in .accordance .with .the . customary .principles .and .practices .applicable .to .peacekeeping, .subject .to .the .exclusive . criminal .jurisdiction .of .their .respective .national .authorities, .and .so .enjoy .absolute .and . complete .immunity .from .local .criminal .process .in .States .hosting .peacekeeping .operations .This .status .is .consistently .provided .for .in, .inter alia, .Status-of-forces .agreements . that .are .concluded .between .the .United .Nations .and .Governments .hosting .peacekeeping . operations, .as .well .as .in .the .model .status-of-forces .agreement, .a .copy .of .which .I .attach . and .which .provides .as .follows .in .article .47 .(b):

      “Military .members .of .the .military .component .of .the .United .Nations .peacekeeping . operation .shall .be .subject .to .the .exclusive .jurisdiction .of .their .respective .participating . States .in .respect .of .any .criminal .offences .which .may .be .committed .by .them .in .[host . country/territory] ”

      This .immunity .from .criminal .jurisdiction .in .a .host .State .can .be .justified, .inter alia, .by . the .fact .that .military .personnel, .as .a .rule, .are .subject .to .their .own .distinct .military .judicial . system, .including .for .acts .committed .by .them .outside .their .own .country .It .may .further . be .noted .in .this .connection .that .paragraph .48 .of .the .model .Status-of-forces .agreement . provides .that, .“[t]he .Secretary-General .of .the .United .Nations .will .obtain .assurances .from . Governments .of .participating .States .that .they .will .be .prepared .to .exercise .jurisdiction . with .respect .to .crimes .or .offences .which .may .be .committed .by .members .of .their .national . contingents .serving .with .the .peacekeeping .operation ”

      However, . consistent . with . the . model . status-of-forces . agreement . and . specific . Status-of-forces .agreements .reviewed .by .this .Office .and .concluded .with .countries .that .host . peacekeeping .operations, .military .members .of .the .military .component .of .a .United .Nations . peacekeeping .operation .may .be .subjected .to .local .civil .jurisdiction .for .acts .that .give .rise . to .civil .liability .and .that .are .committed .by .them .in .the .host .country .otherwise .than .in .the . performance .of .their .official .functions

      I .trust .that .the .above .is .of .assistance

      14 .April .2004

      . The .model .Status-of-forces .agreement, .document .A/4 / 94, .is .not .reproduced .herein .

      32 . UNITED .NATIONS .JURIDICAL .YEARBOOK .2004

      (b) Note verbale to a Permanent Representative of a Member State to the United Nations regarding the freezing of bank accounts

      of the World Food Programme

      Freezing .of .the .World .Food .Programme’s .bank .accounts .as .a .result .of .a .labour . dispute—World .Food .Programme .is .a .joint .subsidiary .organ .of .the .United .Nations . and .the .Food .and .Agriculture .Organization—Convention .on .the .Privileges .and . Immunities .of .the...