Title 22Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73

§4309a United States responsibilities for employees of the United Nations

Title 22 › Chapter CHAPTER 53— - AUTHORITIES RELATING TO THE REGULATION OF FOREIGN MISSIONS › § 4309a

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The United States must let people who work for or act for the United Nations enter and leave the country to do official work inside the United Nations Headquarters District. The U.S. must also help them get nearby offices or facilities for that work. The government can set reasonable rules about where they enter and leave and about the location and size of those facilities. The United States does not have to allow other, nonofficial activities by those people outside the Headquarters District. Activities or benefits outside the District can be allowed, denied, or regulated as the United States decides under this law. The Secretary must tell Congress about plans for carrying out these rules not later than 30 days after August 16, 1985, and must report on what was done not later than 6 months after that. The rule does not apply to any United States national. The “United Nations Headquarters District” means the area the United Nations and the United States agree is the district, plus any extra areas the Secretary of State approves so the United Nations can work effectively.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §4309a

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Congress finds that—
(1)pursuant to the Agreement Between the United States and the United Nations Regarding the Headquarters of the United Nations (authorized by Public Law 80–357 (22 U.S.C. 287 note)), the United States has accepted—
(A)the obligation to permit and to facilitate the right of individuals, who are employed by or are authorized by the United Nations to conduct official business in connection with that organization or its agencies, to enter into and exit from the United States for purposes of conducting official activities within the United Nations Headquarters District, subject to regulation as to points of entry and departure; and
(B)the implied obligation to permit and to facilitate the acquisition of facilities in order to conduct such activities within or in proximity to the United Nations Headquarters District, subject to reasonable regulation including regulation of the location and size of such facilities; and
(2)taking into account paragraph (1) and consistent with the obligation of the United States to facilitate the functioning of the United Nations, the United States has no additional obligation to permit the conduct of any other activities, including nonofficial activities, by such individuals outside of the United Nations Headquarters District.
(b)(1)The conduct of any activities, or the acquisition of any benefits (as defined in section 4301(a)(1) of this title), outside the United Nations Headquarters District by any individual employed by, or authorized by the United Nations to conduct official business in connection with, that organization or its agencies, or by any person or agency acting on behalf thereof, may be permitted or denied or subject to reasonable regulation, as determined to be in the best interests of the United States and pursuant to this chapter.
(2)Repealed. Pub. L. 103–236, title I, § 139(26), Apr. 30, 1994, 108 Stat. 399.
(c)The Secretary shall report to the Congress—
(1)not later than 30 days after August 16, 1985, on the plans of the Secretary for implementing this section; and
(2)not later than 6 months thereafter, on the actions taken pursuant to those plans.
(d)This section shall not apply with respect to any United States national.
(e)For purposes of this section, the term “United Nations Headquarters District” means the area within the United States which is agreed to by the United Nations and the United States to constitute such a district, together with such other areas as the Secretary of State may approve from time to time in order to permit effective functioning of the United Nations or missions to the United Nations.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Public Law 80–357, referred to in subsec. (a)(1), is act Aug. 4, 1947, ch. 482, 61 Stat. 756, which is set out as a note under section 287 of this title.

Amendments

1994—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 103–236 struck out par. (2) which read as follows: “The Secretary shall apply to those employees of the United Nations Secretariat who are nationals of a foreign country or members of a foreign mission all terms, limitations, restrictions, and conditions which are applicable pursuant to this chapter to the members of that country’s mission or of any other mission to the United Nations unless the Secretary determines and reports to the Congress that national security and foreign policy circumstances require that this paragraph be waived in specific circumstances.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 4309a

Title 22Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73