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UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000582 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
IO/UNP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OFDP UN CVIS SY
SUBJECT: MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE ON RELATIONS WITH THE 
HOST COUNTRY 9 JULY 2007 
 
REF: A. STATE 94528 
     ¶B. DAMASCUS 00650 
 
¶1.  Summary.  On July 9, 2007 the Committee on Relations with 
the Host Country convened its 233rd meeting to address, inter 
alia, Host Country travel regulations, acceleration of 
immigration and customs procedures, and entry visas issued by 
the Host Country.  Briefly mentioned were New York,s 
congestion pricing plan and the recent U.S. Supreme Court 
decision confirming that New York courts have jurisdiction in 
cases involving New York,s attempt to tax foreign states, 
real property containing the staff residences of UN Missions. 
 Cuba, Iran, Sudan, Syria, the Russian Federation and 
Venezuela took the floor to characterize both U.S. 
delays/non-issuance of visas to foreign officials coming to 
the UN and U.S.imposed travel restrictions on nationals from 
certain UN Missions and the Secretariat as provocative, 
unjust, discriminatory, in contravention of international 
practice, and as violating the UN Headquarters Agreement, the 
Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and other relevant 
international legal instruments to which the U.S. is a party. 
 The U.S. responded to each allegation based on the facts of 
each example raised in regard to visa issuances and travel 
restrictions, but did not engage substantively regarding 
congestion pricing or real property taxation.  End summary. 
 
Host Country Travel Regulations 
 
 
¶2.  Cuba, Russia, Iran, and Venezuela expressed deep concern 
that the Host Country has unjustly denied travel to their 
government officials for UN meetings.  They argued that such 
restrictions are discriminatory, politically motivated, and 
that these limitations violate the Vienna Convention and the 
U.S. UN Headquarters Agreement.  Such restrictions, they 
argued, put these countries at a significant disadvantage in 
fulfilling their diplomatic duties.  USUN's MinCounselor 
Graham assured the committee that the U.S. considers all 
travel requests seriously and on an individual basis, noting 
that the Host Country has an obligation to allow unimpeded 
travel to and from the UN Headquarters District for official 
United Nations meetings, which the U.S. has fulfilled and 
will continue to do so. 
 
Acceleration of Immigration and Customs Procedures 
 
 
¶3.  Syria, Russia, Venezuela and others expressed their 
extreme, ongoing displeasure with officials at New York area 
airports subjecting their diplomats and family members to 
intrusive and excessive additional security screening upon 
departure.  The delegates acknowledged the need for security 
measures, but questioned the randomness of the screening as 
the same people continue to be selected for secondary 
screening.  Cuba and the Russian Federation asked that the 
Host Country comply with UN Resolution 61/41 Paragraph 2 that 
calls upon the Host Country to train its security and 
immigration officers at airports regarding the privileges and 
immunities extended to diplomats. 
 
¶4.  Describing a particularly egregious incident, the Syrian 
Permanent Representative (PermRep) stated that his wife and 
two twelve year old children went through normal security 
procedure and were allowed to board the airplane with no 
problems.  Once on the plane, however, they were subjected to 
physical inspections in front of passengers and crew without 
apparent reason, unnecessarily frightening his family and 
other travelers.  Additionally, while most of their luggage 
arrived after a 10 day delay (some of it is still missing), 
it was returned in poor condition, with clothes appearing to 
have been torn by a sharp instrument and stained with 
chemicals, perhaps from tests conducted on them.  Syria 
believes the actions to be irresponsible and disrespectful, 
but the PermRep noted that the American Embassy in Damascus 
had apologized.  USUN's MinCounselor Graham conveyed his 
personal apology, indicated that the U.S. would investigate 
the matter further, and asked the Syrian Arab Republic to 
provide the details in writing, as until now, the United 
States Mission was unaware of the damage done to the luggage 
or its contents. 
 
 
¶5.  The United States also informed the Committee that if 
diplomats accredited to the United Nations present, together 
with their boarding pass, their diplomatic passport and their 
blue-bordered, State Department issued ID card, to the 
supervisor at secondary screening at the beginning of the 
secondary screening process, they should be able to avoid the 
problems they have encountered  previously.  MinCounselor 
Graham noted that security screeners and relevant authorities 
at New York area airports would soon be informed and briefed 
on the procedure. 
 
Entry Visas Issued by the Host Country 
 
 
¶6.  Sudan, Cuba, Indonesia, Iran, and Venezuela claimed to 
have experienced unacceptable delays in their officials being 
issued visas or being denied visas to come to the UN, noting 
that, often, visas are not approved in time for the officials 
to attend their intended meetings.  The delegates sought to 
remind the United States of its obligations under the 
Headquarters Agreements, and as a result, asked the Host 
Country to take appropriate measures to keep delays in visa 
issuance from recurring.  The United States stressed that it 
has worked closely with missions experiencing such delays in 
order to expedite the necessary visa issuances, and would do 
so for any mission with similar concerns.  However, the only 
way the U.S. Mission can help is if it is alerted to delays 
immediately, and not after the fact. 
 
Congestion Pricing, Taxing UN Missions' Staff Residences, 
UN Fire Code Violations, Parking Program Implementation Review 
 
¶7. Indonesia, Malaysia, and Russia sought clarification on 
how their missions will be affected by the "congestion tax" 
plan put forward by NYC Mayor Bloomberg.  They also asked for 
the United States Mission's views.  The U.S. noted that the 
plan at present calls for congestion pricing rather than a 
congestion tax, and that since it had not been approved by 
the NY State Assembly, their discussion of the issue was 
premature.  The Chair requested that New York City officials 
(also attending the meeting - NYC Commissioner for the United 
Nations, Consular Corps, and Protocol) keep the Committee 
informed of any further developments. 
 
¶8. India, although not expecting a substantive reply at the 
meeting, asked the Host Country to give its views regarding 
the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding NYC's effort 
to tax diplomatic property of UN Missions in New York City, 
and expressed the hope that the Host Country would have a 
role in aiding the missions. 
 
¶9. The Chair briefed the Committee on a meeting of June 28, 
2007 at which NYC Commissioner for the United Nations, 
Consular Corps and Protocol, Majorie Tiven, and her deputy, 
Brad Billet, spoke to the Committee's Bureau about safety and 
security at the United Nations, specifically fire safety. 
The Chair noted that the Secretariat has corrected many of 
the outstanding fire code violations; however, the Capital 
Master Plan will address some of those still remaining.  The 
City is especially concerned , prompting the Chair to work 
with the Secretariat and New York City to resolve the matter. 
 
¶10. The Chair noted that regarding the recently concluded 
second review of the implementation of the New York 
Diplomatic Parking Program, the Chair had requested modifying 
proposals by a date certain, and having received none, 
regarded the agenda item as concluded. 
KHALILZAD