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

(

  1. 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) .

    5

    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.

    . chapter .VI . 7

    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...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT