Host State Agreement concerning the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in The Hague

The Agreement, concluded between the United Nations and Netherlands on 11 July 2017, regulates the status of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in The Hague.

The Office shall possess full juridical personality in the host State (Article 4).

The Office shall enjoy, in the territory of the host State, such privileges, immunities and facilities as are necessary for the fulfilment of its purposes. The General Convention shall apply to the Office and the archives of the Office. Furthermore, the Office shall enjoy the privileges, immunities and facilities set out in this Agreement (Article 5).

The Head of the Office, together with members of his or her family forming part of the household who are not nationals or permanent residents of the host State, shall enjoy the privileges, immunities, exemptions and facilities accorded to heads of diplomatic missions in accordance with international law and in particular under the General Convention and the provisions of the Vienna Convention. He or she shall, inter alia, enjoy immunity from criminal, civil and administrative jurisdiction (Article 17).

Officials of the Office and Experts on mission shall enjoy such privileges, immunities and facilities as are necessary for the independent performance of their functions. They shall enjoy privileges and immunities accorded under Articles V and VII of the General Convention, including as modified and supplemented below: immunity from legal process of every kind in respect of words spoken or written and all acts performed by them in their official capacity, which immunity shall continue to be accorded even after they have ceased to perform their functions for the Office (Articles 18 and 19).

The Secretary-General shall have the right and duty to waive the immunity granted under this Agreement of any person 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 Office (Article 23).

The Office shall cooperate at all times with the competent authorities to facilitate the proper administration of justice and the enforcement of the laws of the host State, to secure the observance of police regulations and to prevent the occurrence of any abuse in connection with the privileges, immunities and facilities accorded under this Agreement (Article 25).