(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.)
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The United States Missions 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
worlds 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
countrys relationship with the UN community. |
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Among the
Offices most important functions are:
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The
registration and accreditation
of members of diplomatic missions to the United Nations and of the United Nations itself
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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
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Providing United States official
visa
services to members of the United Nations diplomatic community who are not American
citizens or permanent residents
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Helping to resolve
legal or paralegal
problems arising between Americans and members of the UN diplomatic community
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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