Personnel of International Organizations. International organizations that have headquarters or other offi ces in
the United States are staff ed with administrative and executive employees, as necessary, to carry out their functions.
Th e vast majority of these employees enjoy only offi cial acts immunity as provided for in U.S. domestic legislation
(the International Organizations Immunities Act, 22 U.S.C. 2881) and no personal inviolability. In certain cases,
however, the most senior executives of such organizations have been accorded privileges and immunities equal to
those aff orded diplomatic agents. Th is is the case for the Secretary General of the United Nations and for all Assistant
Secretaries-General of the United Nations, Principal Resident Representatives of the International Monetary Fund
and the World Bank, as well as some senior offi cials of the Organization of American States secretariat.
Personnel of National Missions to International Organizations. Th e United Nations and the Organization of
American States are headquartered in the United States, and most of their member States maintain permanent missions
to the headquarters in the United States. Th e permanent representatives staffi ng these missions are accredited to the
international organization concerned (not to the United States), but their privileges and immunities are nonetheless
oft en defi ned by reference to the status of diplomatic personnel who are accredited to the United States.
As is the case with diplomatic missions, the assignment of privileges and immunities is diff erentiated generally on the
basis of the functions performed. Th e most senior representatives in these missions to international organizations
have privileges and immunities equivalent to those aff orded diplomatic agents. Th e remainder of the staff s of these
missions have only offi cial acts immunity pursuant to the International Organizations Immunities Act and no
personal inviolability.
Short-term offi cial visitors from other States to the United Nations or to international conferences convened by the
United Nations may enjoy full diplomatic immunity equivalent to that aff orded diplomatic agents. Owing to the
temporary nature of their visit, such offi cials will normally not have the usual offi cial identity documents recognizable
in the United States. Law enforcement offi cials (particularly in New York) should be sensitive to the existence of this
situation and always coordinate with the U.S. authorities indicated in the list of Useful Phone Numbers if confronted
with an apparent off ender appearing to fall into this category
