Chapter VI. Selected legal opinions of the secretariats of the United Nations and related intergovernmental organizations
Pages | 369-415 |
ξξξ
Chapter VI
SELECTED LEGA L OPINIONS OF THE SECRETARIATS OF THE
UNITEDξNATIONS AND REL ATED INTERGOVERNMENTAL
ORGANIZATIONS*
A. Lξξξξ ξξξξξξξξ ξξ ξξξ Sξξξξξξξξξξ ξξ ξξξ UξξξξξξNξξξξξξ
(Issued or prepared by the Oξce of Legal Aξairs)
1. Privileges and immunities
(a) Note to the Ministry of Foreign Aξairs of [State], concerning privileges
and immunities extended to locally-recruited sta ξ who are nationals of [State]
Aξξξξξξ 10 5 ξξ ξξξ Cξξξξξξ ξξ ξξξ Uξξξξξξ NξξξξξξβAξξξξξξ V ξξ ξξξ Cξξ-
ξξξξξξξ ξξ Pξξξξξξξξξ ξξξ Iξξξξ ξξξξξ ξξ ξξξ Uξξξξξξ Nξξξξξξ, 1946βNξ ξξξ-
ξξξξξξξξξξξξ ξξξξξξξ ξξ ξξξξξξξξξξξξξ ξξξ ξξξξξξξξξξ ξξξξξξξξξ ξξξξξ,
ξξξξ ξξξξξξξξξ ξξ ξξξξξ ξξξ ξξξ ξξξξξξξξξ ξξξξξξξ ξξξ ξξξξξξξξ ξξ ξξξξξξ
ξξξξξβDξξξξξξξ ξξξξξξ ξξ ξξ ξ Vξξξξξ Cξξξξξξξξξ ξξ Dξξξξξξξξξ Rξξξξξξξξ,
1961, ξξξξξ ξξξξξξξ ξξ ξξξξξξ ξξξ ξξξξξ ξξξξξξξξξξ ξξξξξξξξξβIξ ξξξξξξξξξ-
ξξ ξξξξξξ ξξξξξξξξξξξ ξξξ ξξξ ξξ ξξξξξξξξξξ ξξ ξξξξξ ξξ ξξξξξξξξ ξξξξξξξξξξξ
ξe Legal Counsel of t he UnitedξNations presents her compliments to the Minister for
Foreign Aξairs of [State] and has the honour to refer to the ongoing negotiations be tween
the [UnitedξNations entity] and [State] for the establishment of a [UnitedξNations entity]
oξce in [State].
In this regard, the Legal Counsel understands that several meetings have taken
place between oξcials of [UnitedξNations entity] and t he authorities of [State] to discuss
the establishment of the [Unitedξ Nations entity] oξce, including informal discussions
with [Name], the Permanent Representative of [State] to the UnitedξNations in [City] on
[date], as well as meetings on [dates] with various individuals in the Ministry of Foreign
Aξairs in [City], including (i) [Name] and [Name] from [Oξce], (ii) [Name], the [Title]
of [Oξce], (iii) [Name], [Title] of [Oξce], (iv) [Name] from [Oξce] and (v) [Name], the
[Title] ofξ[Oξce].
The Legal Counsel further underst ands, based on these meetings, that the
Government of [State] has taken the position that privileges and immunities may not be
extended to members of the [UnitedξNations entity] oξce who are nationals of [State]. ξe
Legal Counsel w ishes to note that the Governmentβs position is in direct contradiction
* ξis chapter cont ains legal opinions and ot her similar legal memor anda and documents.
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ξ ξξξξ ξξξ ξξ ξξξξξξξξ ξξ
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to its obligations to the UnitedξNations under international law and the Legal Counsel
respectfu lly requests that the Government of [State] reconsider its position.
ξe Legal Counsel w ishes to point out that as a member of the UnitedξNations, [State]
is bound by the Charter of t he UnitedξNations. ξe status of the UnitedξNations and its staξ
members in [State] is governed by Article 105 of the UnitedξNations Charter. Pursua nt to
paragraph 1 of Art icle 105 of the Charter of the UnitedξNations, β[t]he Organization sha ll
enjoy in the territory of each of its Members such priv ileges and immunities as are neces-
sary for the fu lξlment of its purposes.β Paragraph 2 of Article 105 of the UnitedξNations
Charter provides that β[r]epresentatives of the Members of the UnitedξNations and oξcials
of the Organization shall simila rly enjoy such privileges and immunities as are neces-
sary for the independent exercise of t heir functions in connection w ith the Organizationβ.
Finally, paragraph 3 of Ar ticle 105 stipulates that β[t]he General Assembly may make rec-
ommendations with a view to determining the det ails of the application of par agraph 1
β¦ of this Article or may propose conventions to the Members of the UnitedξNations for
this purpose.β
In order to give eξect to Article 105 of the UnitedξNations Char ter, the General
Assembly of the UnitedξNations adopted the Convention on the Privi leges and Immunities
of the UnitedξNations, 1946 (βthe General Conventionβ),* which was acceded to by [State]
on [date], without reservation. As an integra l part of the UnitedξNations, [UnitedξNations
entity] is entitled to the privi leges and immunities provided for in the Genera l Convention.
ξe Legal Counsel w ishes to note that the legal regime governing the privi leges and
immunities of the UnitedξNations and its oξcia ls is separate and distinc t from the regime
governing the privi leges and immunities enjoyed by States and their diplomatic personnel
ering the status of UnitedξNations oξcia ls who are national staξ, reference must be made
to the provisions of the General Convention and relevant General Assembly resolutions
and not to practice under the Vienna C onvention on Diplomatic Relations.
Pursuant to art icle V, section 18, subparagraph (b) of the General Convention, of-
ξcials of the UnitedξNations are entit led to a various range of privileges and immunit ies,
including immunit y from legal process in respect of words spoken or written and a ll acts
performed by them in their oξcial capacity as well as immunity from nationa l service
obligations. In setti ng forth these privileges and immunities, the General Assembly did
not diξerentiate between internationa lly recruited sta ξ and nationally recru ited staξ. It
should be noted in this rega rd that General Assembly resolution 76 (I) speciξcal ly provides
for βthe granting of priv ileges and immunities referred to in Ar ticle V ... to all members of
the staξ of the UnitedξNations, w ith the exception of those who are recruited loca lly and
are assigned to hourly ratesβ. ξerefore, locally-recruited sta ξ members from [State] who
are not assigned to hourly rates als o enjoy the privileges and immunities of a rticle V of the
General Convention.
ξe Legal Counsel w ishes to point out that it is a fundamenta l principle of interna-
tional law that internationa l treaty obligations may not be diminished on the basis of t he
national legislation of [State]. According to article 27 of the Vien na Convention on the Law
* UnitedξNations, Treaty Series, vol. 1, p. 15, and vol. 90, p. 327 (corrigendum to vol. 1).
** Ibid., vol. 500, p. 95.
ξξξξξξξ ξ―ξ ξξξ
of Treaties, 1969,* which codiξes cu stomary international law applicable to international
treaties, β[a] party may not invoke the provisions of its interna l law as justiξcation for its
failure to perform a treat y.β ξis principle is also reξected in section 34 of the General
Convention, according to which the Government of [State] undertook an obligat ion to be
βin a position under its own law to give eξect to the termsβ of the General Convention.
Accordingly, the provisions of national legislat ion in [State] cannot be a basis for [State]
to fail to ful ξl its obligations which were committed to by the Government when [State]
acceded to the General C onvention.
If [State] could invoke its national legislation as a basis for not adher ing to the terms
of the General Convention, this wou ld not only place [State] in an unfair position vis-Γ -vis
other Member States party to t he General Convention, but would be an interpretation
of the General Convention that would not be wit hin the spirit of the u nderlying provi-
sions of the Charter of the Unitedξ Nations, and in part icular, paragraph 2 of Ar ticle 2
and paragraphs 1 a nd 2 of Article 105 thereof. Moreover, if the 193 Member States of the
UnitedξNations could generally i nvoke provisions of their national legislations as a basis
for failing to fu lξl their obligations pursua nt to the Charter of the UnitedξNations or other
international treaties , this would undermine the very e ssence of the principle of pacta sunt
servanda set forth in art icle 26 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, namely
that βevery treaty in force is bind ing upon the parties to it and must be performed by t hem
in good faithβ.
ξe Legal Counsel t herefore respectfully requests t he Government of [State] to ensure
that the [UnitedξNations entity] Oξce Agreement guara ntees the privileges and immuni-
ties provided for under the General C onvention to oξcials who are nationals of [State]. In
light of the importa nce of this matter, the Legal Counsel would be gratef ul if the relevant
representatives of the Government of [State] would attend a meeting wit h members of the
Oξce of Legal Aξa irs, at a mutually convenient time, to discuss t his matter further.
β¦
17 January 2013
(b) Note to the Ministry of Foreign Aξai rs of [State], concerning privileges
and immunities enjoyed by certain categories of UnitedξNations personnel
in [S tate]
Aξξξξξξ 105 ξξ ξξξ Cξξξξξξ ξξ ξξξ Uξξξξξξ NξξξξξξβAξξξξξξ V ξξ ξξξ Cξξξξξξξξξ
ξξ ξξξ Pξξξξξξξξ ξ ξξξ Iξξξξξξξξ ξ ξξ ξξξ UξξξξξξNξξξξξξβGξξξξξξ Aξξξξξξξ ξξξξ-
ξξξξξξ 76 (I) ξξξξ ξξξ ξξξ ξξ ξξξξξξξξ ξξξξξξξξξξ ξξ ξξξ UξξξξξξNξξξξξξ ξξξξξ ξξξξξξ
ξξξξξ ξξξξξξξξξ ξξξξξξξ ξξξ ξξξξξξξξ ξξ ξξξξξξ ξξξξξβGξξξξ ξξ Aξξξξξξξ ξξξξ-
ξξξξξξ 239 (III)βSξξξξ Aξξξξξξξξξ Pξξ ξ ξξξξξξξξ ξξ ξξξξξξ ξ ξξξξξξ ξξξξξξξξξξ
ξξ UξξξξξξNξξξξξξ ξξξξξ ξξξξξξξ ξξξξξξξξξξ ξξ ξξξξξξξξ ξξξξξξ ξξξξξβVξξξξ
Aξξξξ Tξξ ξξξξξξ ξξ ξξ ξξξξξξξξ ξξξξ ξ ξξξξξξ ξξξξ ξξξ ξξ ξξξξξξξ 8 ξξ ξξξ Gξξ-
ξξξξ Cξξξξξ ξξξξβRξξξξξξξξξξξξξ ξξ Sξξξξξ ξξξ ξξξ ξξξξξξ ξξξ ξξξξξξξξξξ ξξ Uξξξ-
* UnitedξNations, Treaty Series, vol. 1155, p. 331.
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