Case Studies Session 22 October 2019

When the „Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations” was drafted
in 1945, the following dispute settlement clause was introduced:

SECTION 30 of the Convention.

“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.”

The Convention entered into force in 1946. On the occasion of the ratification of the
Convention in 1972, Indonesia formulated a reservation to Section 30, declaring that
“With regard to competence of the International Court of Justice in disputes concerning the interpretation
or application of the Convention, the Government of Indonesia reserves the right to maintain that in every
individual case the agreement of the parties to the dispute is required before the Court for a ruling.”

The United Kingdom (UK), within a month, officially replied:

“The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland notified the Secretary-
General that it was unable to accept the reservation made by Indonesia because in its view it is not of the
kind which intending parties to the Convention have the right to make.”

In 2014, a summons (dt: Vorladung) was served to the British Representative to the United
Nations in an action for libel and slander (dt Verleumdungsklage) before Indonesian civil
courts for comments made by the UK Representative while attending a UN conference in
Indonesia. The UK Government officially protested, claiming that the summons violates
Section 11 of the Convention (see text below). With no reaction from the Indonesian side, the
UK instituted legal proceedings before the ICJ for the alleged violations of Section 11. How
will des ICJ decide?

SECTION 11.
“Representatives 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 the 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.”