UNITED STATES DELEGATE SAYS DIPLOMATIC PARKING PROGRAMME IN NEW YORK SUCCESSFUL, WITH FAR FEWER TICKETS ISSUED

Committee on Relations

with Host Country

218^th Meeting (PM)

UNITED STATES DELEGATE SAYS DIPLOMATIC PARKING PROGRAMME IN NEW YORK SUCCESSFUL,

WITH FAR FEWER TICKETS ISSUED

UN Host Country Committee Hears Complaints of Continuing

Problems; Action Promised if Missions Report to Authorities

The Committee on Relations with the Host Country met this afternoon to discuss diplomatic parking issues and other matters.

The representative of the Russian Federation said that one year after the implementation of the diplomatic parking programme, he had arrived at the conclusion that it had a very low rate of effectiveness.  Members of his delegation were regularly photographing cars in spaces allotted to the Russian Mission and that that was not an acceptable situation in keeping with diplomatic status.  He did not reject further joint work in assisting the City of New York in resolving the complex parking situation. 

He went on to say that the Russian Federation’s concerns and recommendations would appear in a formal document.  Some of his recommendations included setting aside special permission for the parking of diplomatic cars, taking into account the number of cars registered under each mission and setting aside a limited number of permits for unlimited parking.

Other delegations echoed their dissatisfaction with the current programme and expressed hope that improvements to the programme would guarantee mutual benefits to New York City and the diplomatic community. 

The representatives of Costa Rica, Turkey, Spain, Cuba, Syria, Singapore and Trinidad and Tobago addressed specific concerns, including illegal parking in spaces allotted to Permanent Missions, problems with the telephone “hotline” to report such incidents, difficulties in acquiring diplomatic tags for cars, and discourteous treatment by New York City police officers.

Responding to delegates’ concerns, the representative of the United States said the diplomatic parking programme was working.  The number of tickets being issued was a fraction of what it was before the programme had started.  It seemed that with large banks of diplomatic parking unused, the work of the diplomatic community was getting done.  New York City could not allow the streets to be used in a way that blocked traffic, created safety hazards, or to be perceived as providing special benefits for diplomats.  In short, compliance with the programme was up and tickets were down. 

Continuing, he said, the delegation which had had the most tickets, the Russian Federation, now had the fewest.  The United States mission could not be happier with compliance.  Last year, the United Nations Legal Counsel had reviewed the programme and determined that it was consistent in all respects with international law.

Regarding spaces encumbered by other vehicles, he said, a programme had been developed by which missions called a hotline to document problems.  Both the host country and the host city wanted to be responsive to Member States’ concerns.  It was true that diplomats were not to be police officers.  But, if diplomats could inform the United States Mission when problems arose, action could then be taken.  He did not have a problem with the suggestion to review the programme and he proposed that the Committee decide how it would go about such a review and in what venue.

A representative of the Office of Legal Affairs said the United Nations Charter provided that the Security Council or General Assembly could request the International Court of Justice to provide an advisory opinion.

Turning to other matters, Libya’s representative noted that arbitrary practices were taken against his mission, such as strict travel limitations, delays in issuing entry visas, access to their real estate assets, and ceilings on their bank accounts.  He asked the host country to lift or raise the ceiling on Libya’s bank accounts and to lessen the restrictions imposed on his delegation. 

The representative of Cuba complained that the head of the office of Cuban Interests in Washington, D.C. had been denied permission to travel to New York City to attend the fifty-eighth session of the General Assembly’s general debate. 

Responding to those comments, the representative of the United States clarified the United States’ position and offered to look into the concerns raised by both delegates.

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 the delegations. Committee members include:  Bulgaria; Canada; China; Costa Rica; Côte d’Ivoire; Cuba; Cyprus; France; Honduras; Hungary; Iraq; Libya; Malaysia; Mali; the Russian Federation; Senegal; Spain; United Kingdom; and the host country, the United States.

Also present at this afternoon’s meeting were Margaret Tiven, the New York City Commissioner for the United Nations, and observers from the following delegations:  Tajikistan, Thailand, Singapore, Madagascar, Greece, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Viet Nam, Holy See, Turkey, Portugal, Tunisia, Syria, Lithuania and Yemen.

The Committee will meet again at a date and time to be announced.

* *** *