Page:UN Treaty Series - vol 1.pdf/203

This page has been validated.

1946–1947
United Nations—Treaty Series
171

(c) The right to use codes and to receive papers or correspondence by courier or in sealed bags;
(d) Exemption in respect of themselves and their spouses from immigration restrictions, alien registration, or national service obligations;
(e) The same facilities in respect of currency or exchange regulations as are accorded to representatives of foreign governments on temporary official missions;
(f) The same immunities and facilities in respect of their personal baggage as are accorded to diplomatic agents;
(g) Such other privileges, immunities, and facilities not inconsistent with the foregoing as diplomatic agents enjoy, except that they shall have no right to claim exemption from customs duties on articles imported (otherwise than as part of their personal baggage) or from indirect taxes or sales taxes.

Section 10. In order to secure for the representatives of Members of the United Nations on its principal and subsidiary organs and at conferences convened by the United Nations, complete freedom of speech and independence in the discharge of their duties, the immunity from legal process in respect of words spoken or written and acts done by them in discharging their duties shall continue to be accorded, notwithstanding that the persons concerned are no longer the representatives of Members of the United Nations.

Section 11. If the incidence of any form of taxation depends upon residence in Switzerland, periods during which the representatives of Members of the United Nations on its principal and subsidiary organs and at conferences convened by the United Nations are present in Switzerland for the discharge of their duties shall not be considered as periods of residence.

Section 12. Privileges and immunities are accorded to the representatives of Members of the United Nations not for the personal benefit of the individuals themselves, but in order to safeguard the independent exercise of their functions in connexion with the United Nations. Consequently, a Member of the United Nations not only has the right but is under a duty to waive the immunity of its representative in any case where in the opinion of that Member the immunity would impede the course of justice, and it can be waived without prejudice to the purpose for which the immunity is accorded.