International Organizations Immunities Act

The International Organizations Immunities Act is a United States federal law enacted in 1945. It "established a special group of foreign or international organizations whose members could work in the U.S. and enjoy certain exemptions from US taxes and search and seizure laws". These advantages are usually given to diplomatic bodies.

The 79th United States Congress passed the International Organization Immunities Act on December 29, 1945; the Act can be found under Title 22, chapter 7, sub-chapter XVIII. The International Organization Immunities Act entitles international organizations and their employees to certain exemptions, immunities, and privileges that other organizations and their employees are not granted. In addition, the entitled benefits organizations and their employees receive are similar to the benefits that foreign governments are granted. For example, international organizations and employees of the organizations are exempted from certain taxes. In addition, property and assets belonging to international organizations or their employees cannot be searched or confiscated. A lawsuit or any other type of legal action cannot be brought upon these organizations or their employees. The privileges, exemptions, and immunities that the employees and officers receive are extended to their immediate family members as well.

The International Organization Immunities Act was passed to strengthen the international organizations that the U.S. collaborates with, including those that are located in foreign countries. The Senate Committee believed that passing this Act would allow international organizations to perform more effectively and accomplish their goals. The Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Labor Organization, and the United Nations are examples of designated public international organizations covered by the Act when it was passed.

If international organizations want the advantages listed in the title, they need to fit the Act's definition of what an "international organization" is. The International Organizations Immunities Act states: “For the purposes of this title, the term "international organization" means a public international organization in which the United States participates pursuant to any treaty or under the authority of any Act of Congress authorizing such participation or making an appropriation for such participation...” (Section 1 of the Act). International organizations need to fit the definition to be protected by this particular Act. Although the Act initially vised at international organizations of which the U.S. was a member, recent extensions have covered also international organizations with which the U.S. cooperate but in which they do not participate, such as the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices in 1997.

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