Head of IMF arrested and accused of sexual assault

[Jan Klimkowski]

I did want to know if the IMF have their own passports and immunity like the BIS crowd do. I seemed to remember seeing some sort of indication that he may have immunity to the current charges but because he was on personal business at the time it didn't apply in this instance.

It's all rather confusing.

It appears that IMF officials, and thus Strauss-Kahn, do have diplomatic immunity:

B. United Nations Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Specialized Agencies and Annex V1

Whereas the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted on 13 February 1946 a resolution contemplating the unification as far as possible of the privileges and immunities enjoyed by the United Nations and by the various specialized agencies; and

Whereas consultations concerning the implementation of the aforesaid resolution have taken place between the United Nations and the specialized agencies;

Consequently, by resolution 179(II) adopted on 21 November 1947, the General Assembly has approved the following Convention, which is submitted to the specialized agencies for acceptance and to every Member of the United Nations and to every other State member of one or more of the specialized agencies for accession.

ARTICLE I

Definition and Scope

SECTION 1

In this Convention:

(i) The words "standard clauses" refer to the provisions of Articles II to IX.

(ii) The words "specialized agencies" mean:

(a) The International Labour Organisation;

(b) The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations;

© The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization;

(d) The International Civil Aviation Organization;

(e) The International Monetary Fund;

(f) The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development;

(g) The World Health Organization;

ARTICLE III

Property, Funds and Assets

SECTION 4

The specialized agencies, their property and assets, wherever located and by whomsoever held, shall enjoy immunity from every form of legal process except in so far as in any particular case they have expressly waived their immunity. It is, however, understood that no waiver of immunity shall extend to any measure of execution.

SECTION 5

The premises of the specialized agencies shall be inviolable. The property and assets of the specialized agencies, wherever located and by whomsoever held, shall be immune from search, requisition, confiscation, expropriation and any other form of interference, whether by executive, administrative, judicial or legislative action.

http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/sd/i...ision=DN22

However, for some reason, either diplomatic immunity did not apply to Strass-Kahn's particular circumstances, or he waived immunity.