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
legal opinions of the secretariat of the united nations
(Issued .or .prepared .by .the .Office .of .Legal .Affairs)
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...
Get this document and AI-powered insights with a free trial of vLex and Vincent AI
Get Started for FreeStart Your 3-day Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting

Start Your 3-day Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting

Start Your 3-day Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting

Start Your 3-day Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting

Start Your 3-day Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
