The Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/all/20041204070951/http://www.un.int:80/usa/host.htm

 Home About the Mission News Information Topics Links Search Site Index Archives


Host Country Affairs


(If you are not a foreign national employee of the United Nations or of a foreign diplomatic mission to the United Nations and require general information on immigration, visa, passport or other travel-related matters, please see our general information page.  Also see our frequently asked questions page.) 

The United States Mission’s Office of Host Country Affairs assures that the obligations of our country to the United Nations and the UN diplomatic community in New York are upheld. The Office also serves an important liaison function between the world’s largest and most prestigious diplomatic community on the one hand, and federal and local government agencies, business, and private citizens on the other. The Department of State has given the United States Mission the responsibility of managing our country’s relationship with the UN community.

Among the Office’s most important functions are:

  • The registration and accreditation of members of diplomatic missions to the United Nations and of the United Nations itself

  • Acting as the liaison between the UN community and federal and local law enforcement agencies to ensure the physical safety and security of the UN, the diplomatic missions, and their employees and family members

  • Providing United States official visa services to members of the United Nations diplomatic community who are not American citizens or permanent residents

  • Helping to resolve legal or paralegal problems arising between Americans and members of the UN diplomatic community

  • Ensuring that the members of the diplomatic community respect our laws, and taking appropriate action if and when laws or regulations are contravened -- but also ensuring that diplomats are treated respectfully by the authorities of the host country

  • Administering the employment authorization program for the UN diplomatic community through which spouses and some dependent children may seek certain jobs in the United States

  • Assisting the diplomatic community with the arrival of foreign heads of state or other high-ranking visitors coming to the United Nations on official business, including Requests for Airport Screening Courtesies, and

  • Serving as the United States representative on the UN's Committee on Relations with the Host Country .

We perform these functions in accordance with the mutual rights and obligations undertaken by the United States and the United Nations when it was agreed that the headquarters of the UN would be established in New York. These rights and obligations are set forth in the United Nations Headquarters Agreement (Public Law 80-357 of August 4, 1947), the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations (21 UST 148 (1970)), the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (23 UST 3227, Public Law 95-393 of December 30,1978), and the International Organizations Immunities Act (Public Law 79-291 of December 29, 1945). A fifth law which may be useful to American businesses or private individuals dealing with foreign governments is the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (Public Law 94-583 of September 30, 1978).

The Office of Host Country Affairs also works closely with the New York branch of the State Department's Office of Foreign Missions, which has responsibility for issuing driver's licenses, license plates, and sales tax exemption cards to the diplomatic community, customs clearance of diplomatic shipments, and approving the purchase, sale, or lease of diplomatic property.

NEW: Parking Program for Diplomatic Vehicles as distributed in diplomatic note HC-50-02; Annex II: Parking Violation Response Form; Annex III: Notice of Parking Violation Appeal and List of Delivery Vehicle Parking Spaces.

Requests for Airport Screening Courtesies, as distributed in diplomatic note HC-08-04, February 10, 2004.

* * * * *

 

home