United Nations laissez-passer
| United Nations laissez-passer | |
 The front cover of a contemporary The United Nations Laissez-Passer machine-readable passport.
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| Issued by |  United Nations and the International Labour Organisation |
| Type of document | Laissez-passer |
| Purpose | Identification |
| Eligibility requirements | UN officials and officials of certain international organizations |
A United Nations Laissez-Passer (UNLP or LP) is a travel document issued by the United Nations under the provisions of Article VII of the 1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations[1] in its offices in New York and Geneva, as well as by the International Labor Organization (ILO).[2] The UNLP is issued to UN and ILO staff as well as staff members of international organizations such as the WHO, the World Tourism Organization, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the World Bank. The document is written in English and French.
The UNLP is a valid travel document, which can be used like a national passport (in connection with travel on official missions only). As with national passports, some countries/regions accept it for entry without the need for a visa (e.g., Kenya, United Kingdom, Schengen Area, Lebanon, etc.), while most require a visa before it can be accepted for entry to the country. This is regardless of the nationality of the UNLP holder.
Most officials hold a blue UNLP, which is similar in legal status to a service passport (however, diplomatic status may be conferred on the holder if a the visa issued in the UNLP is a diplomatic visa). A red UNLP is issued to particularly high officials, and depending on their rank, this may confer diplomatic privileges and the red UNLP may therefore be similar to a diplomatic passport.
[edit] Name and signature page
A data page has a visual zone and a machine-readable zone. The visual zone has a photograph of the holder, data about the passport, and data about the LP holder much similar to a normal passport. The nationality and place of birth of the passport holder is not mentioned in a UNLP, but the UN is used in fields similar to 'issuing country'.
- Photograph
- Type [of document, which is "LP" for "Laissez-Passer"]
- Code [of the issuing organization, which is "UNO/UNA" for "United Nations Organization/Agency"]
- Laissez-passer No.
- Surname
- Given Name(s)
- Title [Job Title]
- Date of Birth
- Sex
- Official of [UNO/UNA for United Nations Organization/Agency]
- Date of Issue
- Date of Expiration
- Authority [United Nations/Nations Unies followed by the code of the issuing city, e.g. GVA for Geneva]
- Signature (on the opposite page)
The first line of a machine-readable zone (which is at the bottom of the page) of the passport contains a letter to denote the type of travel document (which is despite the Laissez-passer status, it is "P>" for passport), followed by the code normally used for the citizenship of the passport holder (but here: "UNO/UNA" for "United Nations Organization/Agency"), and the name (surname first, then given name or names) of the passport holder. When visa are placed in a UNLP, the same practice should be followed, and in the nationality field, UNO/UNA should be placed.[3] This guideline however is often not observed.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "Convention on the privileges and immunities of the United Nations". United Nations. 1946. http://www.unog.ch/80256EDD006B8954/(httpAssets)/C8297DB1DE8566F2C1256F2600348A73/$file/Convention%20P%20&%20I%20(1946)%20-%20E.pdf. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
- ^ W. Münch, G. Tang and MD. Wynes (2005). "Review of the Management of the United Nations Laissez-passer". Joint Inspection Unit, UN. http://www.unjiu.org/data/notes/2005/NOTE2005_2.pdf. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
- ^ "Doc 9303 part 2 (visa)". International Civil Aviation Organization. http://www2.icao.int/en/MRTD/Downloads/Doc%209303/Doc%209303%20English/Doc%209303%20Part%202.pdf.
