The International Wheat Council (Immunities and Privileges) Order 1968

PART I THE ORGANISATION

1.  The International Wheat Council and the Food Aid Committee (each of which is hereinafter referred to as the Organisation) are Organisations of which Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and the governments of foreign sovereign Powers are members.

2.  The Organisation shall have the legal capacities of a body corporate.

3.—(1) The Organisation shall have immunity from suit and legal process except:—

(a) to the extent that the Organisation shall have expressly waived such immunity in a particular case;

(b) in respect of a civil action by a third party for damage arising from an accident caused by a motor vehicle belonging to, or operated on behalf of, the Organisation, or in respect of a motor traffic offence involving such a vehicle; and

(c) in respect of the enforcement of an arbitration award made under Article 23, Article 24 of Article 27 of the Headquarters Agreement between the International Wheat Council and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland(1).

(2) The provisions of the preceding paragraph shall not prevent the taking of such measures as may be permitted by law in relation to the property and assets of the Organisation in so far as they may be temporarily necessary in connection with the prevention of, an investigation into, accidents involving motor vehicles belonging to, or operated on behalf of, the Organisation.

4.  The Organisation shall have the like inviolability of official archives and premises as, in accordance with the 1961 Convention Articles, is accorded in respect of the official archives and premises of a diplomatic mission.

5.  Within the scope of its official activities, the Organisation shall have the like exemption or relief from taxes, other than customs duties and taxes on the importation of goods, as is accorded to a foreign sovereign Power.

6.  The Organisation shall have the like relief from rates on its official premises as in accordance with Article 23 of the 1961 Convention Articles is accorded in respect of the premises of a diplomatic mission.

7.  The Organisation shall have exemption from customs duties and taxes on the importation of goods imported by the Organisation and strictly necessary for the exercise of its official activities, or on the importation of any publications of the Organisation imported by it, such exemption to be subject to compliance with such conditions as the Commissioners of Customs and Excise may prescribe for the protection of the Revenue.

8.  The Organisation shall have exemption from prohibitions and restrictions on importation or exportation in the case of goods imported or exported by the Organisation and strictly necessary for the exercise of its official activities and in the case of any publications of the Organisation imported or exported by it.

9.  The Organisation shall have relief, under arrangements made either by the Secretary of State or by the Commissioners of Customs and Excise, by way of refund of customs duty paid on any hydrocarbon oils (within the meaning of the Customs and Excise Act 1952) which are bought in the United Kingdom and strictly necessary for the exercise of the official activities of the Organisation, such relief to be subject to compliance with such conditions as may be imposed in accordance with the arrangements.

10.  The Organisation shall have relief, under arrangements made by the Secretary of State, by way of refund of purchase tax paid on any goods which are strictly necessary for the exercise of the official activities of the Organisation, such relief to be subject to compliance with such conditions as may be imposed in accordance with the arrangements.

(1)

Cmnd. 3783.