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
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Legal opinions of the secretariat of the United Nations
(Issued .or .prepared .by .the .Office .of .Legal .Affairs)
1. Privileges and immunities
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Electronic mail addressed to the Department of Management, United Nations, regarding diplomatic immunity with regard to a “When Actually
Employed” contract at the level of Assistant Secretary-General
Diplomatic .privileges .and .immunities .for .United .Nations .officials—Convention . on .the .Privileges .and .Immunities .of .the .United .Nations, .19 6**—“When .Actually . Employed” .contracts—Status .of .employment—Days .of .actual .employment—Secretary-General’s .Bulletin .ST/SGB/28 ***
1 . This .is .in .response .to .your .email .of .22 .February .2005 .requesting .advice .as .to . whether .a .person .who .is .the .holder .of .a .“When .Actually .Employed” .contract .(WAE .contract) .at .the .level .of .an .Assistant .Secretary-General .would .enjoy .diplomatic .privileges .and . immunities .over .the .entire .duration .of .the .WAE .contract, .or .whether .such .privileges .and . immunities .would .only .apply .in .respect .of .days .of .actual .employment
2 . In .our .view, .such .diplomatic .privileges .and .immunities .only apply in respect of days of actual employment .The .Secretary-General’s .Bulletin .regarding .“Use .of .‘When . Actually .Employed’ .Contracts .for .Special .Representatives, .Envoys .and .Other .Special .High . Level .Positions” .of .29 .August .1996 .(ST/SGB/283) .divides .WAE .contracts .into .two .categories: .(i) .short .term .appointments .under .the .300 .series .of .the .Staff .Rules; .and .(ii) .on .special . service .agreements .With .respect .to .both .kinds .of .WAE .contracts, .it .is .clear .that .a .person . employed .under .a .WAE .contract .has .the .status .of .a .staff .member .(300 .series) .or .expert .on .
. .* . This .chapter .contains .legal .opinions .and .other .similar .memoranda .and .documents .
.** United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1, p. 15, and vol. 90, p. 327 (corrigendum to vol. 1).
*** . Secretary-General’s .bulletins .are .approved .and .signed .by .the .Secretary-General .Bulletins .are . issued .with .respect .to .the .following .matters: .promulgation .of .rules .for .the .implementation .of .regulations, .resolutions .and .decisions .adopted .by .the .General .Assembly; .promulgation .of .regulations .and . rules, .as .required, .for .the .implementation .of .resolutions .and .decisions .adopted .by .the .Security .Council; . organization .of .the .Secretariat; .the .establishment .of .specially .funded .programmes; .or .any .other .important .decision .of .policy .as .decided .by .the .Secretary-General .(see .ST/SGB/1997/1) .
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6 . UNITED .NATIONS .JURIDICAL .YEARBOOK .2005
mission .(special .service .agreements) .“only when actually employed by the United Nations” . (See .paragraphs .12 .and .14 .of .the .Bulletin )
3 . This .means .that .status .of .the .WAE .contract .holder .as .a .staff .member, .or .an .expert . on .mission, .only .applies .as .at .such .time .that .he .or .she .is .employed .by .the .United .Nations . In .this .respect, .it .should .be .noted .that .paragraph .4 .of .the .Bulletin .states .that .“the .holder . of .a .WAE .contract .must .be .notified .in .writing .of .the .days .during .which .his .or .her .services . will .be .required, .and .his .or .her .acceptance .must .be .in .writing .In .cases .of .extreme .urgency, . this .may .be .done .on .a .post facto .basis” .Accordingly, .the .privileges .and .immunities .would . only .apply .to .words .spoken .or .written .or .acts .performed .in .an .official .capacity .during .the . actual .period .or .periods .of .employment .It .is .clear, .of .course, .that .privileges .and .immunities .in .respect .of .activities .conducted .on .such .days .would .continue .to .apply .until .waived .by . the .Secretary-General .in .accordance .with .the .Convention .on .the .Privileges .and .Immunities .of .the .United .Nations
24 .February .2005
(b) Interoffice memorandum to the Assistant Secretary-General, Central Support Services, United Nations, regarding immunity from search for holders of red United Nations Laissez-Passer
Privileges .and .immunities .granted .to .United .Nations .officials—Article .V, .section .19, .and .article .VII, .section .27, .of .the .Convention .on .the .Privileges .and .Immunities .of .the .United .Nations, .19 6*—Articles .29 .and . 6 .of .the .Vienna .Convention . on .Diplomatic .Relations, .1961**—Diplomatic .privileges .and .immunities .granted . only .to .United .Nations .officials .at .the .level .of .Assistant .Secretary-General . and .above—Possibility .to .issue .red .United .Nations .Laissez-Passer .to .officials .at . lower .level .without .granting .full .scope .of .diplomatic .privileges .and .immunities—Personal .inviolability—Exceptions .to .personal .inviolability .with .respect . to .security .procedures by airlines
1 . This .is .with .reference .to .your .request .addressed .to .[name] .by .email .on .17 .February .2005 .for .a .legal .opinion .concerning .the .relevant .privileges .and .immunities .enjoyed .by . the .holders .of .red .United .Nations .Laissez-Passer .(UNLPs) .of .[ . . . .] .The .email .states .that .a .
red .UNLP .holder .of .[ . . . .] .was .twice .forced .to .allow .his .bags .to .be .searched .at .[city] .airport, .
and .that .a .security .officer .had .advised .that .she .was .under .instructions .to .treat .national . diplomatic .passports .differently .from .United .Nations .“diplomatic .passports”, .which .she . said .did .not .entitle .their .holders .to .immunity .from .search
2 . Pursuant . to . the . Guide . to . the . Issuance . of . United . Nations . Travel . Documents . (PAH/INF 78/2) .of .1 .June .1978, .red .UNLPs .may .be .issued .to .officials .of .the .United .Nations . at .the .level .of .Assistant .Secretary-General .and .above, .who .by .virtue .of .article .V, .section .19, . of .the .Convention .on .the .Privileges .and .Immunities .of .the .United .Nations .(the .Convention), .are .entitled .to .the .“privileges .and .immunities, .exemptions .and .facilities .accorded .to . diplomatic .envoys, .in .accordance .with .international .law” .In .accordance .with .that .Guide, . red .UNLPs .may .also .be .issued .to .officials .of .the .United .Nations .at .the .D-2 .level .who .under .
.* United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1, p. 15, and vol. 90, p. 327 (corrigendum to vol. 1).
** United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 500, p. 95.
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article .VII, .section .27, .of .the .Convention, .are .only .entitled .to .the .same .facilities .as .are . accorded .to .diplomatic .envoys .when .travelling .on .the .business .of .the .United .Nations .The . Guide .also .provides .that .red .UNLPs .may, .in .exceptional .cases, .be .issued .to .staff .members .below .the .rank .of .D-2 .who .are .designated .by .the .Secretary-General .as .within .one .of . the .categories .listed .in .paragraph .10 .thereof .With .respect .to .such .staff, .the .Convention . provides .neither .the .diplomatic .privileges .and .immunities .nor .the .facilities .accorded .to . diplomatic .envoys
3 . Based .on .the .foregoing, .and .unless .there .is .an .agreement .with .the .Government . of .the .host .country .which .provides .otherwise, .only .officials .who .are .at .the .level .of .Assistant .Secretary-General .and .above .are .entitled .to .the .full .scope .of .diplomatic .privileges . and .immunities .As .such, .only .Assistant .Secretary-Generals .and .above .are .entitled .to . “personal .inviolability” .under .article .29 .of .the .Vienna .Convention .on .Diplomatic .Relations .(the .Vienna .Convention) .As .diplomatic .agents, .they .cannot .be .required .to .submit .to . compulsory .search .procedures .by .police .or .other .law .enforcement .authorities .In .respect . of .travel .by .air, .however, .such .inviolability .does .not .preclude .being .expected .to .submit .to .a . search .either .manually .or .by .x-ray .device .as .it .has .been .established .that .airlines .may .refuse . to .carry .persons .who .have .not .submitted .to .search .procedures .In .addition, .pursuant .to . article .36 .of .the .Vienna .Convention, .the .personal .baggage .of .a .diplomatic .agent .is .exempt . from .search .unless .there .are .serious .grounds .for .presuming .that .it .contains .articles .other . than .for .official .or .personal .use, .which .may .be .either .prohibited .or .controlled .by .the .laws . of .the .receiving .State .Such .inspection, .however, .can .only .be .conducted .in .the .presence .of . the .diplomatic .agent .or .of .his .authorized .representative
1 .March .2005
(c) Note verbale to the Permanent Representative of a Member State regarding the imposition of a road toll tax on the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees
Privileges .and .immunities .granted .to .the .United .Nations—Article .105 .of .the . Charter .of .the .United .Nations—Article .II, .section .7 .(a), .of .the .Convention .on .the . Privileges .and .Immunities .of .the .United .Nations, .19 6*—Road .toll .tax—Exemption .of .any .form .of .direct .taxation—No .exemption .of .charges .for .public .utility . services—Charges .for .services .must .be .specifically .identified, .described, .itemized . and .calculated .according .to .some .predetermined .unit
The .Legal .Counsel .of .the .United .Nations .presents .his .compliments .to .the .Permanent . Representative .of .[Member .State] .to .the .United .Nations .and .has .the .honour .to .refer .to .the . decision .by .the .Government .of .[Member .State] .to .impose .a .road .toll .tax .on .[staff .members . of .the .Office .of] .the .United .Nations .High .Commissioner .for .Refugees .(UNHCR) .with . respect .to .the .purchase .of .fuel .in .[Member .State] .The .Legal .Counsel .notes...
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