Book III Privileges and Immunities, 15 Special Missions

Subject(s):

Consular relations — Consulates — Diplomatic missions — Diplomatic relations — Special missions — Diplomatic protection

This chapter briefly looks into special missions. A ‘special mission’ is defined as a ‘temporary mission, representing the State, which is sent by one State to another State with the consent of the latter for the purpose of dealing with it on specific questions or of performing in relation to it a specific task’. The cost of maintaining permanent missions abroad and speed of travel has thence made special missions essential to the discussion and resolution of issues and protection of states’ interests in others’ capitals. This has resulted in the adoption of the New York Convention on Special Missions in 1969, which entered into force in 1985. The scale of facilities, privileges and immunities provided for in the Convention (Articles 22 to 49), provided in relation to permanent diplomatic missions by the VCDR, are discussed further in this chapter.