HOST COUNTRY COMMITTEE ADOPTS ANNUAL REPORT

HOST COUNTRY COMMITTEE ADOPTS ANNUAL REPORT

The Committee on Relations with the Host Country this afternoon adopted its annual report, reaffirming the Headquarters Agreement and the provisions of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the 1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations.

According to the report, the Committee met four times, during which it addressed issues of transportation, such as use of motor vehicles and parking; acceleration of immigration and customs procedures; entry visas issued by the host country; exemption from taxes; and host country travel regulations.  The Committee noted in its report that the observance of privileges and immunities was an issue of great importance and emphasized the need to solve, through negotiations, problems that might arise in that regard. 

The Committee would continue to review the operation of the Parking Programme for Diplomatic Vehicles with a view to ensuring its proper implementation in a fair, non-discriminatory and effective manner consistent with international law.  It asked the host country to bring reports about other problems experienced by the permanent missions or their staff to the attention of New York City officials.

According to the report, the Committee anticipated that the host country would enhance its efforts to ensure the timely issuance of entry visas to representatives of Member States, noting that a number of delegations had requested a shorter time period for the issuance of such entry visas. 

Concerning travel regulations issued by the host country to the personnel of certain missions and Secretariat staff members of certain nationalities, the Committee noted that some travel restrictions had been removed during the past year.  It continued to urge the host country to remove remaining travel restrictions as soon as possible.

Also in the report, the Committee stressed the importance of permanent missions and their personnel, as well as Secretariat personnel, meeting their financial obligations. 

The report, contained in document A/AC.154/2005/CRP.1, was introduced by the Committee’s Rapporteur, Marcela Calderón of Costa Rica.  The facilitator for the negotiations on the report’s recommendations, Polly Ioannou of Cyprus, informed the Committee that consensus had been achieved and thanked the representatives of the host country, the Russian Federation and Cuba for their constructive attitude during the consultations.

Under other matters, the representative of the host country introduced Donna Windham as the Regional Director, United States Department of State, Office of Foreign Missions in New York, who, he said, would do her utmost to help all members of the diplomatic community, especially members of the Committee.

In general, the Host Country Committee oversees practical matters connected with diplomats accredited to the United Nations, such as entry visas, immigration and custom procedures, housing, parking for mission personnel, insurance, education and health.  The Committee also examines problems with financial indebtedness, privileges and immunities, as well as public relations to publicize the functions and status of permanent missions to the United Nations.

The 19 members of the Committee are 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 Committee will meet again at a date to be announced.

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For information media • not an official record