Committee on Relations

 with Host Country

222^nd Meeting (AM)

Host country committee adopts annual report covering diplomatic

parking issues, customs procedureS, immigration, entry visas

The Committee on Relations with the Host Country today adopted its annual report which addressed issues concerning the use of motor vehicles, parking and related matters; acceleration of immigration and customs procedures; and host country entry visas.

Covering issues raised and recommendations made by Committee members on, among others, New York Diplomatic Parking Programme, the report was approved without a vote, as orally revised, after introduction by the Committee Rapporteur.

The report also deals with new customs procedures regarding the import of household effects, which, the representative of Turkey had said, were contrary to diplomatic practice and in violation of the immunities enjoyed by diplomats, including exemption from detailed searches.  Also covered in the report is a complaint by the Russian Federation about unacceptable and unjustifiable delays in the issuance of entry visas to Russian experts assigned to attend official United Nations meetings in New York.

The representative of Cuba said that the report should refer to the travel restrictions imposed on members of his country’s delegation.  In June, the Cuban delegation had experienced discriminatory treatment as a result of those restrictions.  Cuban delegates could only go 25 miles from Columbus Circle and a request to travel beyond that limit had been denied, thereby impeding attendance at meetings related to the United Nations.

The representative of the Russian Federation noted that the present report was made available very late and requested that steps should be taken so that future reports would be available in good time.  The present report correctly reflected his country’s position.  His country understood that the Diplomatic Parking Programme review would be continued in future and that the issue of establishing a working group on the matter continued to be an option, if needed.

The representative of Mali said that the assessment sent in by Member States regarding the New York Diplomatic Parking Programme should have been attached as an annex to the report.  His country had sent in its contribution.

The representative of Costa Rica said that it might be useful to say in paragraph 8 of the report that 88 per cent of the missions questioned were satisfied.  That might address the concerns of the speaker from Mali.

The Committee Secretary said that would not be appropriate unless the author of that paragraph, the United States, wished it.  Another paragraph, however, could be added.

The representative of Mali said the Costa Rican proposal was noble, but would only distort the message of the paragraph.  He added that 88 per cent of countries could not possibly be satisfied with the Diplomatic Parking Programme.

Turning to matters of attendance, the representative of the United States said all formal meetings of the United Nations were open to all Member States.  His Government sometimes made efforts to restrict attendance to informal meetings, but never formal ones.

In response, the representative of Cuba said that host countries should not decide who goes to any meetings.  That was up to the United Nations.

The Chairman informed the Committee that the Secretary of the Committee, Monal Khalil, would be completing her tenure as Secretary today.  Patricia Georget would assume the functions of Secretary of the Committee.

The representatives of Cyprus, Costa Rica, Mali, Honduras, Cuba and the United States also made statements to express gratitude to Ms. Khalil on her work on behalf of the Committee and to welcome the new Secretary.

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

Also present at this morning’s meeting were Marjorie Tiven, the New York City Commissioner for the United Nations, and observers from the following delegations:  Belarus; Czech Republic; Greece; Iran; Nepal; Philippines; Turkey; Ukraine; and Viet Nam.

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

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*     Reissued for technical reasons.