1. Representatives of Contracting States to the Governing Council and to meetings convened by the Organization, shall, while exercising their functions and during the journey to and from the place of meeting, enjoy the following privileges and immunities:

2. In order to secure, for representatives of Contracting States to the Governing Council and to meetings convened by the Organization, freedom of speech and independence in the discharge of their duties, the immunity from legal process in respect of words spoken or written and all acts done by them in discharging their duties shall continue to be accorded, notwithstanding that the persons concerned are no longer representatives of Contracting States.

3. Where the incidence of any form of taxation depends upon residence, periods during which representatives of Contracting States to the Governing Council and to meetings convened by the Organization are present in a Contracting State for the discharge of their duties shall not be considered as periods of residence.

4. Privileges and immunities are accorded to the representatives of Contracting States not for the personal benefit of the individuals themselves, but in order to safeguard the independent exercise of their functions in connection with the Organization. Consequently, a Contracting State not only has the right but is under a duty to waive the immunity of its representative in any case where in the opinion of the Contracting State the immunity would impede the course of justice, and it can be waived without prejudice to the purpose for which the immunity is accorded.

5. The provisions of paragraphs 1 to 3 are not applicable as between a representative and the authorities of the Contracting State of which he or she is a national or of which he or she is or has been the representative.

6. In this Article, the expression “representatives” shall be deemed to include all delegates, deputy delegates, advisers, technical experts and secretaries of delegations.