Agreement concerning the status of the United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor

The Agreement regulates the legal status of the United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor.

UNMISET, as a subsidiary organ of the United Nations, enjoys the status, privileges and immunities of the United Nations in accordance with the Convention.

Commander of the military component of UNMISET, and such high‑ranking members of the Special Representative’s staff as may be agreed upon with the Government shall have the status specified in sections 19 and 27 of the Convention, provided that the privileges and immunities therein referred to shall be those accorded to diplomatic envoys by international law.

Officials of the United Nations assigned to the civilian component to serve with UNMISET, as well as United Nations Volunteers who shall be assimilated thereto, remain officials of the United Nations entitled to the privileges and immunities of articles V and VII of the Convention.

Military observers, United Nations civilian police advisers and civilian personnel other than United Nations officials whose names are for the purpose notified to the Government by the Special Representative shall be considered as experts on mission within the meaning of article VI of the Convention. Military personnel of national contingents assigned to the military component of UNMISET shall have the privileges and immunities specifically provided for in the present Agreement.

Unless otherwise specified in the present Agreement, locally recruited personnel of UNMISET shall enjoy the immunities concerning official acts and exemption from taxation and national service obligations provided for in sections 18 (a), (b) and (c) of the Convention.

Any dispute or claim of a private law character, not resulting from the operational necessity of UNMISET, to which UNMISET or any member thereof is a party and over which the courts of East Timor do not have jurisdiction because of any provision of the present Agreement shall be settled by a siding claims commission to be established for that purpose. Disputes concerning the terms of employment and conditions of service of locally recruited personnel shall be settled by the administrative procedures to be established by the Special Representative.