First-ever request by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations for an advisory opinion of the Court

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INTERNATIONAL COURT JUSTICE

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No. 89/8
26 May 1989

First-ever reques by the Economicand SocialCouncilof the
UnitedNationsfor an advisoryopinionof the Court

The following information ismmunicatedto the Pressby the
Registryof the InternationalCourtof Justice:

The Secretary-Generaof the UnitedNationshas informed the
InternationalCourtof Justicethaton 24May 1989 the Economic and
Social Councialdopteda resolutioncallingfor the Court to give, ona
prioritybasis,an advlsory opinion:

"on the 1ega:questionof theapplicability of Article VI,
section22, of the Conventioon the Privileges and Immunities
of the UnitedNat:Lonof 13 February1946,in the caseof
Mr.DumitruMazili~a,s Special Rapporteuof the Sub-Commission
on the Preventioof Discriminatioannd Protectionof
Minorities."

The historyof the request ias follows:

The Sub-Commissioon Preventionof Discriminatio nnd Protectionof
Minoritiesof the UnitedNations Commissio on HumanRightsurgently
needed thecompletionand presentatioonf a report on"hurnanightsand
youth"by a formermember ofthe Siib-CommissioMnr,. DumitruMazilu,a
Romaniancitizen. The Sub-Commissiofnailed, howevert,o establish
contactwith Mr. Mazilu,and the Governmenotf Romaniais reportedto
have declinedto assisiin the matter. When the Secretary-General
invokedin thisregardthe above-mentionep drovisionsof the Convention
on Privileges andImmunities,the Governrnentf Romaniadeniedtheir
applicability.

Article VI, sectio22, of theConventionon the Privileges and
Immunititesof the UniteNdationsreads,in part: "Experts(otherthanofficials comingwithinthe scopeof
ArticleV) performingmissionsfor the UnitedNationsshallbe
accordedsuchprivileges anidmmunitiesas are necessaryfor

the independent exerciof theirfunctions duringthe period
of theirmissions,includingthe timespenton journeysin
connection with themirssions."

The Economicand SocialCouncil,of whichthe Commissionon Human
Rights isan organ,was in 1946authorizedby the GeneralAssemblyto
requestadvisory opinion sf the Courton legalquestionsarisingwithin
the scopeof its activities. Itas not,however,madeuse of this
authorizationbefore.