HOST COUNTRY COMMITTEE ADDRESSES ISSUES RELATED TO VEHICLE PARKING, MISSION SECURITY, ENTRY VISAS

Committee on Relations

with Host Country

216^th Meeting (PM)

HOST COUNTRY COMMITTEE ADDRESSES ISSUES RELATED TO VEHICLE PARKING,

MISSION SECURITY, ENTRY VISAS

Meeting this afternoon, the Committee on Relations with the Host Country addressed the following issues:  parking problems, security for missions, and entry visas.  Additionally, the Committee Chairman, Sotirios Zackheos (Cyprus), delivered a farewell address.

The representatives of Costa Rica and Cuba raised the issue of parking and said the current programme, which provided every mission with two parking spaces, was not working.  Promised access to a specialized transit police officer had been problematic, and designated spaces were sometimes occupied by New York City Police vehicles.

The representative of the United States, the host country, said progress had been made on the diplomatic parking issue, as signified by a large decline in issued parking tickets since the programme had been implemented.  He recognized, however, that cars were often parked illegally in the designated spaces.  He urged missions to respond by calling the designated hotline or contacting the United States Mission’s parking coordinator in a timely fashion so that action, such as sending a tow truck, could be taken.  In this manner, the problem would be put on record.

Referring to a note sent to her Mission by the diplomatic parking programme’s review group, informing her Mission that, to resolve an appeal, Mission representatives would have to go to a local court, the Cuban representative declared that diplomats should never be subjected to a local authority since that interfered with diplomatic immunity.

The representative of the host country responded that nobody had asked Cuban diplomats to give up their immunities.  He found it strange that, since her Mission received constant police protection, the officers present did not police the parking spaces.  That was a matter of security that needed to be addressed.  He added, however, that he did not wish to debate the entire parking programme.

The representatives of France and the Russian Federation agreed that the parking situation had not improved enough.  In response, the outgoing Committee Chairman urged better coordination among missions and the United States delegation.

The representative of Cuba then turned to matters of security.  Specifically, she said that the United States Mission had not responded to her Mission’s concerns that its security perimeter had been made smaller.

In response, the host country representative said he had received the notes from the Cuban Mission and had already organized a meeting at the Cuban Mission with security officials.  He explained that the original security area had been established during a time when there had been attacks against the Cuban Mission, but it was no longer necessary, especially since no other mission had such a security perimeter.  He also said that an area outside the Cuban Mission had been set aside for demonstrations, which were legal in the United States, since it was a country that respected free speech.  He then referred to a recent demonstration in front of the Cuban Mission in which members of the Mission had responded by blasting music out of their windows.  Police protecting the Mission had received complaints from the neighbourhood.

The Cuban representative responded that it was disturbing for children of Cuban diplomats to be forced to listen to insults and obscenities from demonstrators.  They preferred hearing Cuban music.  She stressed that, if individuals had the right to express themselves, people in the Mission had the right not to listen to obscenities.

The representative of Zimbabwe, an observer State, took the floor to address delays in obtaining re-entry visas.  Previously, diplomats could obtain a visa in two weeks.  Now, however, the waiting time was approximately five months.  He requested an explanation.

The host country representative responded that the reasonable amount of waiting time had always been 15 working days.  That had been increased to 20, however, in light of the events of 11 September.  He was not aware of the case to which the Zimbabwe representative was referring.  Therefore, he asked for the name of the individual who was waiting for an entry visa so that he could assist in the matter.

The outgoing Chairman of the Committee then delivered a farewell address, thanking, among others, the host country for all its cooperation and support.

The Committee on Relations with the Host Country was established in 1971 to deal with the security of diplomatic missions accredited to the United Nations, the safety of their personnel, and the responsibilities of delegations.  Committee members include:  Bulgaria; Canada; China; Costa Rica; Côte d’Ivoire; Cuba; Cyprus; France; Honduras; Hungary; Iraq (empty chair); Libya; Malaysia; Mali; Russian Federation; Senegal; Spain; United Kingdom; and the host country, the United States.  Also present at the meeting was the New York City Commissioner for the United Nations and Consular Corps.

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