THE UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION

THE UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION

THE UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION.

(Cap. 190, section 2).

[9th September, 1955.1

His Excellency the Governor hereby declares and provides as
follows

A. THE ORGANIZATION.

1. The Universal Postal Union (hereinafter referred to as the
Organization) is an organization to which the Diplomatic Privileges
Ordinance applies.

2. The Organization shall have the legal capacities of a body
corporate and, except in so far as in any particular case it has expressly
waived its immunity, immunity from suit and legal process. No waiver of
immunity shall be deemed to extend to any measure of execution.

3. The Organization shall have the like inviolability of official
archives and premises occupied as offices as is accorded in respect of
official archives and premises of an envoy of a foreign sovereign power
accredited to Her Majesty.

4. The Organization shall have the like exemption or relief from
taxes and rates, other than taxes on the importation of goods, as is
accorded to a foreign sovereign power.

5. The Organization shall have exemption from taxes on the
importation of goods directly imported by the Organization for its
official use in Hong Kong or for exportation, or on the importation of
any publications of the Organization directly imported by it, such
exemption to be subject to compliance with such conditions as the
Director

,may prescribe for the
protection of the revenue.

6. The Organization shall have exemption from prohibitions and
restrictions on importation or exportation in the case of goods directly
imported or exported by the Organization for its official use and in the
case of any publications of the Organization directly imported or
exported by it.

7. The Organization shall have the right to avail itself, for
telegraphic communications sent by it and containing only matter
intended for publication by the press or for broadcasting (including
communications addressed to or dispatched from places outside Hong
Kong), of any reduced rates applicable for the corresponding service in
the case of press telegrams.





B. REPRESENTATIVES, OTHER THAN REPRESENTATIVES OF
HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT IN THE COLONY, ON
ORGANS OR COMMITTEES OF THE ORGANIZATION.

8. (1) Except in so far as in any particular case any privilege or
immunity is waived by the Governments whom they represent,
representatives of members at Congresses, on the Executive and Liaison
Committee, at administrative conferences or on commissions provided
for in the constitution of the Organization, or on any committee of any
of these bodies shall enjoy

(a)while exercising their functions as such and during their
journeys to and from the place of meeting, immunity from
personal arrest or detention and from seizure of their personal
baggage and inviolability for all papers and documents;

(b)immunity from legal process of every kind in respect of words
spoken or written and things done or omitted to be done by
them in their capacity as representatives.

(2) Where the incidence of any form of taxation depends upon
residence, representatives shall not be deemed to be resident in Hong
Kong during any period when they are present in Hong Kong for the
discharge of their duties.

(3) For the purposes of the application of this Article the
expression 'representatives' shall be deemed to include, in addition to
the representatives, the following members of their official staffs
accompanying them as such representatives

Alternate representatives,

Advisers,

Technical experts,

Secretaries of Delegations,

and Part IV of the Schedule to the Ordinance shall not operate so as to
confer privileges or immunities on the staffs of representatives other
than on those persons falling within the above-mentioned descriptions.

(4) The provisions of the preceding paragraphs of this Article shall
not confer any immunity or privilege on any person as the
representatives of Her Majesty's Government in Hong Kong or as a
member of the staff of such representative or on any person who is
citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies


C. HIGH OFFICIALS OF THE ORGANIZATION.

9. Except in so far as in any particular case any privilege or
immunity is waived by the Organization, any officer of the Organization
holding the office of Secretary-General (including any officer acting for
him during his absence from duty) shall





be accorded in respect of himself, his spouse and his children under the
age of twenty-one, the like immunity from suit and legal process, the like
inviolability of residence and the like exemption or relief from taxes,
other than income tax, as is accorded to an envoy of a foreign sovereign
power accredited to Her Majesty, his spouse and children, and
exemption from income tax in respect of emoluments received by him as
an officer of the Organization.

D. OTHER OFFICIALS OF THE ORGANIZATION.

10. Except in so far as in any particular case any privilege or
immunity is waived by the Organization, officials of the Organization of
any category specified by it shall enjoy

(a)immunity from suit and legal process in respect of words
spoken or written and things done or omitted to be done by
them in the course of the preformance of their official duties;

(b)exemption from income tax in respect of emoluments received
by them as officers or servants of the Organization.
G.N.A. 90/55. G.N.A.99/55. (Cap. 190.) G.N.A. 99/55.

G.N.A. 90/55. G.N.A.99/55. (Cap. 190.) G.N.A. 99/55.

https://oelawhk.lib.hku.hk/items/show/2810

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