Page 22 - Diplomatic Consular Immunity

Diplomatic and Consular Immunity: Guidance for Law Enforcement and Judicial Authorities
Personnel of National Missions to
International Organizations
The United Nations and the Organization of
American States are headquartered in the
United States, and most of their member
14 states maintain permanent missions to the
headquarters in the United States. The
permanent representatives staffing these
missions are accredited to the international
organization concerned (not to the United
States), but their privileges and immunities
are nonetheless often defined by reference to
the status of diplomatic personnel who are
accredited to the United States.
As is the case with diplomatic missions, the
assignment of privileges and immunities
is differentiated generally on the basis
of the functions performed. The most
senior representatives in these missions to
international organizations have privileges
and immunities equivalent to those afforded
diplomatic agents. The remainder of the
staffs of these missions have only official
acts immunity pursuant to the International
Organizations Immunities Act and no
personal inviolability.
Short-term official visitors from other states
to the United Nations or to international
conferences convened by the United
Nations may enjoy full diplomatic immunity
equivalent to that afforded diplomatic agents.
Owing to the temporary nature of their visit,
such officials will normally not have the usual
official identity documents recognizable
in the United States. Law enforcement
officials (particularly in New York) should be
sensitive to the existence of this situation and
always coordinate with the U.S. authorities
indicated in the list of Useful Phone Numbers
if confronted with an apparent offender
appearing to fall into this category.
Designated Employees
of TECRO and TECO
Designated Employees of the
Taipei Economic and Cultural
Representative Office in the
United States (TECRO) and of
the Taipei Economic and Cultural
Offices (TECO)
The Taipei Economic and Cultural
Representative Office in the United States
(TECRO) and its subsidiary offices, the Taipei
Economic and Cultural Offices (TECO),
facilitate the commercial, cultural, and other
relations between the people of the United
States and the people on Taiwan. They operate
in the United States pursuant to the Taiwan
Relations Act of 1979 and the Agreement
on Privileges, Exemptions, and Immunities
between the American Institute in Taiwan
and the Taipei Economic and Cultural
Representative Office in the United States