#THE UNITED NATIONS (PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES) ACT, 1947 
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##ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS 
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SECTIONS 

1. Short title. 
2. Conferment on United Nations and its representatives and officers and certain privileges and 
  immunities. 
3. Power to confer certain privileges and immunities on other international organisations and their 
  representatives and officers. 
4. Power to make rules. 
THE SCHEDULE. 



#THE UNITED NATIONS (PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES) ACT, 1947 

##ACT NO. 46 OF 1947

[20th December, 1947.] 

An Act to give effect to the Convection on the Privileges and immunities of the United Nations. 

  WHEREAS  it  is  expedient  to  give  effect  to  the  Convention  on  the  Privileges  and  Immunities  of  the 
United  Nations,  and  to  enable  similar  privileges  and  immunities  to  be  enjoyed  by  other  international 
organisations and their representatives and officials; 

  It is hereby enacted as follows:— 

1. **Short title.**—This Act may be called the United Nations (Privileges and Immunities) Act, 1947. 

2. **Conferment on United Nations and its representatives and officers and certain privileges and 
immunities.**—(1) Notwithstanding anything to the country contained in any other law, the provisions set 
out  in  the  Schedule  to  this  Act  of  the  Convention  on  the  Privileges  and  Immunities,  adopted  by  the 
General Assembly of the United Nations on the 13th day of February, 1946, shall have the force of Law 
in India. 

(2) The Central Government may, from time to time, by notification in the Official Gazette, amend 
the Schedule in conformity with any amendments, duly made and adopted, of the provisions of the said 
Convention set out therein. 

3. **Power to confer certain privileges and immunities on other international organisations and 
their representatives and officers.**—Where in pursuance of any international agreement, convention or 
other  instrument  it  is  necessary  to  accord  to  any  international  organisation  and  its  representatives  and 
officers  privileges  and  immunities  in  India  similar  to  those  contained  in  the  provisions  set  out  in  the 
Schedule, the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare that the provisions 
set out in the schedule shall, subject to such modification, if any it may consider necessary or expedient 
for  giving  effect  to  the  said  agreement,  convention  or  other  instrument,  apply  mutatis  mutandis  to  the 
international organisation specified in the notification and its representatives and officers, and thereupon 
the said provisions shall apply accordingly and, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any 
other law, shall in such application have the force of law in India. 

4. **Power to make rules.**— (1) The  Central  Government  may by notification in the Official 
Gazette make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act. 

(2) Every  rule  made  under  this  Act  shall  be laid,  as  soon as  may  be  after  it  is  made,  before each 
House of Parliament, while it is in session, for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised in 
one  session  or  in  two  or  more  successive  sessions  aforesaid,  both  Houses  agree  in  making  any 
modification in the rule or both Houses agree that the rule should not  be made, the rule shall thereafter 
have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, that any such 
modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under 
that rule.


 
 
##THE SCHEDULE 

(See sections 2 and 3) 

##ARTICLE I 

###JURIDICAL PERSONALITY 

SECTION 1. The United Nations shall possess juridical personality. 

  It shall have the capacity: 

  (a) to contract; 

  (b) to acquire and dispose of immovable and movable property; 

  (c) to institute legal proceedings. 

##ARTICLE II 

###PROPERTY, FUNDS AND ASSETS 

SECTION 2. The United Nations, its property and assets wherever located and by  whomsoever held, 
shall  enjoy  immunity  from  every  form  of legal  process  except in  so  far as in  any  particular  case it  has 
expressly waived its immunity. It is, however, understood that no waiver of immunity shall extend to any 
measure of execution. 

SECTION  3. The  premises  of  the  United  Nations  shall  be  inviolable.  The  property  and  assets  of  the 
United  Nations,  wherever  located  and  by  whomsoever  held,  shall  be  immune  from  search,  requisition, 
confiscation,  expropriation  and  any  other  form  of  interference,  whether  by  executive,  administrative, 
judicial or legislative action. 

SECTION 4. The archives of the United Nations, and in general all documents belonging to it or held 
it, shall be inviolable wherever located. 

SECTION 5. Without being restricted by financial controls, regulations or moratoria of any kind, 

  (a) the United Nations shall be free to transfer its funds, gold or currency of any kind and operate 
accounts in any currency; 

  (b) the  United  Nations  shall  be  free  to transfer  its funds,  gold  or  currency  from  one  country  to 
another or within any country and to convert any currency held by it into any other currency. 

SECTION 6. In exercising its rights under section 5 above, the United Nations shall pay due regard to 
any representations made by the Government of any Member in so far as it is considered that effect can 
be given to such representations without detriment to the interests of the United Nations. 

SECTION 7. The United Nations, its assets, income and other property shall be: 

  (a) exempt from all direct taxes; it is understood, however, that the United Nations will not claim 
exemption from taxes which are, in fact, no more than charges for public utility services; 

  (b) exempt  from  customs  duties  and  prohibitions  and  restrictions  on  imports  and  exports  in 
respect  of  articles  imported  or  exported  by  the  United  Nations  for  its  official  use.  It  is  understood, 
however, that articles imported under such exemption will not be sold in the country into which they 
were imported except under conditions agreed with the Government of that country; 

  (c) exempt from customs duties, prohibitions, and restrictions on imports and exports in respect of 
its publications. 

SECTION 8. While the United Nations will not , as a general rule, claim exemption from excise duties 
and  from  taxes  on  the  sale  of  movable  and  immovable  property  which  form  part  of  the  price  to  be 
paid, nevertheless  when  the  United  Nations  is  making  important  purchase  of  official  for  official  use  of 
property on which such duties and taxes have been charged or are chargeable. Members will, whenever 
possible, make appropriate administrative arrangements for the remission or return of the amount of duty 
or tax. 

##ARTICLE III 

###FACILITIES IN RESPECT OF COMMUNICATIONS 

SECTION  9. The  United  Nations  shall  enjoy  in  the  territory  of  each  Member  for  its  official 
communications  treatment  not  less  than  that  accorded  by  the  Government  of  that  member  to  any  other 
Government  including  diplomatic  mission  in  the  matter  of  priorities,  rates  and  taxes  on  mails,  cables, 
telegrams, telephotos and telephone and other communications; and press rate for information to the press 
and  radio. No  censorship  shall  be  applied  to  the  official  correspondence  and  other  official 
communications of the United Nations. 

SECTION  10. The  United  Nations  shall  have  the  right  to  use  codes  and  despatch  and  receive  its 
corresponds  by  courier  or  in  bags,  which  shall  have  the  same  immunities  and  privileges  as  diplomatic 
couriers and bags. 

##ARTICLE IV 

###THE REPRESENTATIVE OF MEMBERS 

SECTION 11. Representative of Members to the principal and subsidiary organs of the United Nations 
and to conferences convened by the United Nations, shall while exercising their functions and during their 
journey to and from the place of meeting, enjoy the following privileges and immunities: 

  (a) immunity from personal arrest or detention and from seizure of their personal baggage, and, in 
respect  of  words  spoken  or  written  and  all  acts  done  by  them  in  their  capacity  as  representatives, 
immunity from legal process of every kind; 

  (b) inviolability for all papers and documents; 

  (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,  aliens 
registration  or  national  service  obligations  in  the  state  they  are  visiting  or  through  which  they  are 
passing in the exercise of their functions; 

  (e) the  same  facilities  in  respect  of  currency  or  exchange  restrictions  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 envoys; and also 

  (g) such other privileges, immunities and facilities not inconsistent with foregoing as diplomatic 
envoys enjoy, except that they shall have no right to claim exemption from customs duties on goods 
imported (otherwise than as part of their personal baggage) or from excise duties or sales taxes. 

  SECTION  12. In  order  to  secure,  for  the  representatives  of  Members  to  the  principal  and  subsidiary 
organs of the United Nations and to 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  all  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. 

  SECTION  13. Where  the  incidence  of  any  form  of  taxation  depends  upon  residence,  periods  during 
which the representatives of Members to the principal and subsidiary organs of the United Nations and to 
conference convened by the United Nations are present in a State for the discharge of their duties shall not 
considered as period of residence. 

  SECTION  14. Privileges  and  immunities  are  accorded  to  the  representatives  of  Members  not  for  the 
personal benefit of the individuals themselves, but in order to safeguard the independent exercise of their 
functions  in  connection  with  the  United  Nations. Consequently  a  Member  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 the Member 
the immunity would impede the court of justice, and it can be waived without prejudice to the purpose for 
which the immunity is accorded. 

  SECTION 15. The provisions of sections 11, 12 and 13 are not applicable as between a representative 
and the authorities of the State of which he is a national or which he is or has been the representative. 

  SECTION 16. In this article the expression “representative” shall be deemed to included all delegates, 
deputy delegates, advisers, technical experts and secretaries of delegations. 

##ARTICLE V 

###OFFICIALS 

  SECTION 17. The Secretary-General will specify the categories of officials to which the provisions of 
this  Article  and  Article  VII  shall  apply.  He  shall  submit  these  categories  s  to  the  General  Assembly. 
Thereafter these categories shall be communicated to the Governments of all members. The name of the 
officials  included  in  these  categories  shall  from  time  to  time  be  made  Known  to  the  Government  of 
Members. 

  SECTION 18. Officials of the United Nations shall; 

     (a) be immune from legal process in respect of words spoken for written and all acts performed 
by them in their official capacity; 

     (b) be exempt from taxation on the salaries and emoluments paid of them by the United Nations; 

     (c) be immune from national service obligations; 

     (d) be  immune,  together  with  their  spouses  and  relatives  dependent  of  them,  from  immigration 
restrictions and alien registration; 

     (e) be  accorded  the  same  privileges  in  respect  of  exchange  facilities  as  are  accorded  to  the 
officials of comparable ranks forming part of diplomatic missions to the Government concerned; 

     (f) be given, together with their spouses and relatives dependent on them, the same repatriation 
facilities in time of international crisis as diplomatic envoys; 

     (g) have the right to import free of duty their furniture and effects at the time of first taking up 
their post in the country in question. 

  SECTION 19. In addition to the immunities and privileges specified in section 18, the secretary-general 
and all Assistant Secretaries-General shall be accorded in respect of themselves, their spouses and minor 
children,  the  privileges  and  immunities  exemptions  and  facilities  accorded  to  diplomatic  envoys,  in 
accordance with international law. 

  SECTION 20. Privileges and immunities are granted to officials in the interests of the United Nations 
and not for the personal benefit of the individuals themselves. The Secretary-General shall have the right 
and the duty to waive the immunity of any official in any case where, in his opinion, the immunity would 
impede the course of justice and can be waived without prejudice to the interests of the United Nations. In 
the case of the Secretary-General, the Security Council shall have the right to waive immunity. 

  SECTION 21. The  United  Nations  shall  co-operate  at  all  times  with  the  appropriate  authorities  of 
Members to facilitate the proper administration of justice, secure the observance of police regulations and 
prevent  the  occurrence  of  any  abuse  in  connection  with  the  privileges,  immunities  and  facilities 
mentioned in this Article. 

##ARTICLE VI 

###EXPERTS ON MISSIONS FOR THE UNITED NATIONS 

  SECTION 22. Experts (other than officials coming within the scope of Article V) performing missions 
for  the  United  Nations  shall  be  accorded  such  privileges  and  immunities  as  are  necessary  for  the 
independent  exercise  of their  functions  during  the  period  of their  missions, including  the time  spent  on 
journeys in connection with their missions. In particular they shall be accorded: 

     (a) immunity from personal arrest or detention and from seizure of their personal baggage; 

     (b) in respect of words spoken or written and acts done by them in the course of the performance 
of their mission, immunity from legal process of every kind. This immunity from legal process shall 
continue  to  be  accorded  notwithstanding  that  the  persons  concerned  are  no  longer  employed  on 
missions for the United Nations; 

     (c) inviolability for all papers and documents; 

     (d) for the purpose of their communications with the United Nations, the right to use codes and to 
receive papers or correspondence by courier or in sealed bags; 

     (e) the  same  facilities  in  respect  of  currency  or  exchange  restrictions  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 envoys. 

  SECTION 23. Privileges and immunities are granted to experts in the interests of the United Nations 
and not for the personal benefit of the individuals themselves. The Secretary-General shall have the right 
and the duty to waive the immunity of any export in any case where, in his opinion, the immunity would 
impede the course of justice and it can be waived without prejudice to the interests of the United Nations. 

##ARTICLE VII 

###UNITED NATIONS LAISSEZ-PASSER 

  SECTION 24. The  United  Nations  may  issue  United  Nations  Laissez-passer  to  its  officials.  These 
laissez-passer shall be recognised and accepted as valid travel documents by the authorities of Members, 
taking into account the provisions of section 25. 

  SECTION 25. Applications for visas (where required) from the holders of United Nations 
Laissez-passer, when accompanied by a certificate that they are travelling on the business of the United 
Nations, shall be dealt with as speedily as possible. In addition, such persons shall be granted facilities for 
speedy travel. 

  SECTION 26. Similar facilities to those specified in section 25 shall be accorded to experts and other 
persons  who,  though  not  the  holders  of  United  Nations  Laissez-passer,  have  a  certificate  that  they  are 
travelling on the business of the United Nations. 

  SECTION 27. The Secretary-General, Assistant Secretary-General and Directors travelling on United 
Nations Laissez-passer on the business of the United Nations shall be granted the same facilities as are 
accorded to diplomatic envoys. 

  SECTION 28. The provisions of this article may be applied to the comparable officials of specialised 
agencies if the agreements for relationship made under Article 63 of the charter so provide. 

##ARTICLE VIII 

###SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES 

  SECTION 29. The United Nations shall make provisions for appropriate modes of settlement of; 

     (a) disputes  arising  out  of  contracts  or  other  disputes  of  a  private  law  character  to  which  the 
United Nations is a party; 

     (b) disputes involving  any  official  of  the  United  Nations  who  by  reason of his official  position 
enjoys immunity, if immunity has not been waived by the Secretary-General. 

  SECTION 30. All differences arising out of the interpretation or application of the present convention 
shall be referred to the International Court of Justice, unless in any case it is agreed by the parties to have 
recourse to another mode of settlement. If a difference arises between the United Nations on the one hand 
and a Member on the other hand, a request shall be made for an advisory opinion on any legal question 
involved  in  accordance  with  Article  96  of  the  Charter  and  Article  65  of  the  Statute  of  the  Court. The 
opinion given by the Court shall be accepted as decisive by the parties. 