Belgium Diplomatic Handbook

Foreword by Mr. Didier Reynders, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and European Affairs. Belgium hosts numerous diplomatic missions. These are either accredited to the Kingdom of Belgium or to one of the international organisations headquartered in Belgium. Their operation, as well as the legal status and privileges and immunities of their members, are essentially regulated by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, dated 18 April 1961. This handbook describes Belgium’s practice vis-à-vis these missions, and analyses the day-to-day implementation of the Vienna Convention by the various Belgian authorities. It systematically reviews the limited number of legislative or regulatory provisions, the Government’s practice – set out inter alia in several ‘circular notes’ communicated to the missions present in Belgium – and, additionally, identifies the jurisprudence of courts and tribunals and highlights the possible deviations from the practice of the executive branch. Designed as a guide intended primarily for diplomatic missions established in Belgium, this handbook is also relevant for civil servants, judges, lawyers and bailiffs encountering questions of diplomatic law in Belgium, as well as for students and researchers seeking information on national practice in this area of law.