Respect for the privileges and immunities of officials of the United Nations and the specialized agencies and related organizations, G.A. res. 47/28, 47 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 49) at 243, U.N. Doc. A/47/49 (1992).


The General Assembly,

Recalling that, under Article 105 of the Charter of the United Nations, all officials of the Organization shall enjoy in the territory of each of its Member States such privileges and immunities as are necessary for the independent exercise of their functions in connection with the Organization,

Also recalling that, under Article 100 of the Charter, each Member of the United Nations undertakes to respect the exclusively international character of the responsibilities of the Secretary-General and the staff and not to seek to influence them in the discharge of their responsibilities,

Further recalling the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Specialized Agencies, the Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the United Nations Development Programme Standard Basic Assistance Agreements,

Stressing that respect for the privileges and immunities of officials of the United Nations and the specialized agencies is becoming even more imperative owing to the growing number of assignments entrusted to the organizations of the United Nations system by Member States,

Recalling its resolution 76 (I) of 7 December 1946, in which it approved the granting of the privileges and immunities referred to in articles V and VII of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations to all members of the staff of the United Nations, with the exception of those who are recruited locally and are assigned to hourly rates,

Also recalling its resolution 43/173 of 9 December 1988, to which is annexed the Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment, including the principle that all persons under arrest or detention shall be provided whenever necessary with medical care and treatment,

Reiterating the obligation of all officials of the Organization in the conduct of their duties to observe fully both the laws and regulations of Member States and their duties and responsibilities to the Organization,

Mindful of the responsibilities of the Secretary-General to safeguard the functional immunity of all United Nations officials,

Mindful also of the importance in this respect of the provision by Member States of adequate and immediate information concerning the arrest and detention of staff members and, more particularly, their granting of access to them,

Bearing in mind the considerations of the Secretary-General to guarantee appropriate standards of justice and due process to United Nations officials,

1. Takes note with grave concern of the report submitted by the Secretary-General on behalf of the members of the Administrative Committee on Coordination, and of the developments indicated therein;

2. Strongly deplores the unprecedented and still increasing number of fatalities which have occurred among United Nations personnel, including those engaged in peace-keeping operations;

3. Deplores the continuing existence of cases where the functioning, safety and well-being of officials have been placed in jeopardy;

4. Condemns and deplores the disregard for Article 105 of the Charter of the United Nations displayed by some Member States;

5. Reaffirms in its entirety its resolution 45/240 of 21 December 1990;

6. Reiterates the importance of providing access of United Nations medical teams to detained staff, and requests Member States to facilitate medical care deemed necessary by such teams;

7. Requests the Secretary-General to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of United Nations personnel, as well as those engaged in peace-keeping and humanitarian operations;

8. Reminds host countries of their responsibility for the safety of peace-keeping and all United Nations personnel on their territory;

9. Strongly affirms that disregard for the privileges and immunities of officials has always constituted one of the main obstacles to the implementation of the missions and programmes assigned to the organizations of the United Nations system by Member States;

10. Requests the Secretary-General and Member States to continue their efforts to ensure respect for the privileges and immunities of officials, and requests the Secretary-General to continue to submit, on behalf of the Administrative Committee on Coordination, reports thereon to the General Assembly.

72nd plenary meeting
25 November 1992


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