CONFIDENTIAL
United Kingdom Mission
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M Hill Esq Hong Kong Dept
FCO
ним ошеч
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RECEIVED
REGISTRY
1 1 MAR 1986
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Our reference
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ReRpod
Date
6 March 1986
Dea this
ний
GATT: HONG KONG
1.
DESAÔ, FICER
INDE
59
REGISTRY Acuon Taken
My letter of 10 February refers. I have finally obtained clarification from the Swiss Mission of the points raised in paragraph 4 of Hong Kong telno 2 on the question of derivation of Diplomatic privileges and immunities for GATT delegations.
2.
The explanation of the differing dates quoted is as follows:
19 April 1946
11 June 1946
1 July 1946
14 December 1946
- date of the interim arrangment on Privileges and Immunities concluded between the Swiss Federal Council and the Secretary General of the United Nations at Berne.
- agreement, with identical text to 'interim arrangement', concluded with an exchange of letters at Berne.
exchange of letters at New York in respect of the agreement concluded at Berne.
approval at UN General Assembly of the agreement concluded at Berne.
3.
Thus, all of these references are to the same text. Although it rather looks as though the exchange of letters of 18 August 1977 between the GATT and the Swiss Government should more properly refer to the agreement of 11 June (or 1 July) 1946, the source of GATT entitlements to UN privileges and immunities appear clear and unambiguous.
4.
Whether the Swiss Government would raise any obstacles to extending these privileges to a separate Hong Kong office can only be ascertained by a direct approach to the Swiss authorities. But once GATT Contracting Parties have accepted Hong Kong as a separate CP in its own right, it may prove possible to negotiate with the Swiss authorities the granting to it of full diplomatic privileges upon the basis of the exchange of letters of 18 August.
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A W Dell
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