Foreign Missions and International Organizations Act (S.C. 1991, c. 41)

Marginal note:Privileges and immunities

• 5 (1) The Governor in Council may, by order, provide that

  • (a) an international organization shall have the legal capacities of a body corporate;

  • (b) an international organization shall, to the extent specified in the order, have the privileges and immunities set out in Articles II and III of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, set out in Schedule III;

  • (b.1) subject to subsection (1.2), accredited missions shall, to the extent specified in the order, have privileges and immunities comparable to the privileges and immunities accorded to diplomatic missions of foreign states in Canada under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations;

  • (c) representatives of a foreign state that is a member of or participates in an international organization shall, to the extent specified in the order, have the privileges and immunities set out in Article IV of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations;

  • (d) representatives of a foreign state that is a member of an international organization headquartered in Canada, and members of their families forming part of their households, shall, to the extent specified in the order, have privileges and immunities comparable to the privileges and immunities accorded to diplomatic representatives, and members of their families forming part of their households, in Canada under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations;

  • (e) members of the administrative and technical staff, and members of their families forming part of their households, and the service staff of the mission of a foreign state that is a member of an international organization headquartered in Canada, other than persons who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada, shall, to the extent specified in the order, have privileges and immunities comparable to the privileges and immunities accorded to such persons under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations;

  • (f) such senior officials of an international organization as may be designated by the Governor in Council, and, in the case of an international organization headquartered in Canada, members of their families forming part of their households, shall, to the extent specified in the order, have privileges and immunities comparable to the privileges and immunities accorded to diplomatic agents, and members of their families forming part of their households, under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations;

  • (g) such other officials of an international organization as may be designated by the Governor in Council shall, to the extent specified in the order, have the privileges and immunities set out in Section 18 of Article V of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations;

  • (h) such experts as may be designated by the Governor in Council who perform missions for an international organization shall, to the extent specified in the order, have the privileges and immunities set out in Article VI of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations;

  • (h.1) such other classes of persons as may be designated by the Governor in Council who, in accordance with a treaty, convention or agreement set out in Schedule IV, are entitled to privileges and immunities, and members of their families forming part of their households, shall, to the extent specified in the order, have privileges and immunities comparable to the privileges and immunities accorded to diplomatic agents, and members of their families forming part of their households, under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations; and

  • (i) the judges, officials and staff of the International Criminal Court, as defined in subsection 2(1) of the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act, and counsel, experts, witnesses and other persons required to be present at the seat of that Court shall have the privileges and immunities set out in article 48 of the Rome Statute, as defined in that subsection, and the agreement on privileges and immunities contemplated in that article.

• Marginal note:Retroactive order

  (1.1) An order made under paragraph (1)(b) or subsection 6(2) that has the effect of granting to an international organization or to an office of a political subdivision of a foreign state, as the case may be, any duty or tax relief privileges may, in relation to those privileges, if it so provides, be made retroactive.

• Marginal note:Duty and tax relief privileges — accredited missions

  (1.2) An order made under paragraph (1)(b.1) may restrict or withdraw any duty or tax relief privileges in relation to a particular accredited mission for the purpose of according to that accredited mission treatment that is comparable to the treatment accorded by the foreign state in question to a Canadian permanent mission that is accredited to an international organization in that foreign state.

• Marginal note:Retroactive order

  (1.3) An order made under paragraph (1)(b.1) that has the effect of granting to an accredited mission of the International Civil Aviation Organization any tax relief privileges in relation to Part IX of the Excise Tax Act may, in relation to those privileges, if it so provides, be made retroactive and have effect with respect to any period beginning on January 1, 1991 at the earliest and ending on December 31, 2000 at the latest.

• Marginal note:Recommendation

  (2) Every order under subsection (1) that has the effect of granting duty or tax relief privileges shall be made on the joint recommendation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Finance.

• Marginal note:No tax exemption to Canadians residing in Canada

  (3) Nothing in any order made under subsection (1) exempts a Canadian citizen, residing or ordinarily resident in Canada, from liability for any taxes or duties imposed by any law in Canada.

• Marginal note:Immigration restrictions

  (4) In the event of an inconsistency or conflict between an order made under subsection (1) and any of sections 33 to 43 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the order prevails to the extent of the inconsistency or conflict.