A group of people chanting pro-Khalistan slogans took down the Indian flag at the High Commission in London.
- The Indian government on March 20 summoned the senior-most” UK diplomat, Deputy High Commissioner, and lodged a strong protest.
- An explanation was demanded for the complete absence of the British security that allowed these elements to enter the High Commission premises. She (Dy High Commissioner Scott) was reminded in this regard of the basic obligations of the UK Government under the Vienna Convention.
Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961)
- The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961) provides a complete framework for the establishment, maintenance and termination of diplomatic relations on a basis of consent between independent sovereign States.
- The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations entered into force on April 24, 1964 and is nearly universally ratified, with Palau and South Sudan being the exceptions
- The Convention codifies the longstanding custom of diplomatic immunity, in which diplomatic missions are granted privileges that enable diplomats to perform their functions without fear of coercion or harassment by the host country.
- It affirms the concept of inviolability of a diplomatic mission, which has been one of the enduring cornerstones of international diplomacy.
- As per the Vienna Convention, a receiving State refers to the host nation where a diplomatic mission is located. It has some basic obligations towards the diplomatic missions it hosts on its sovereign territory.
- Article 22 of the Convention deals with obligations with regards to the premises of the Mission. Part 2 of this article states that “The receiving State is under a special duty to take all appropriate steps to protect the premises of the mission against any intrusion or damage and to prevent any disturbance of the peace of the mission or impairment of its dignity”.
- The security of any High Commission or Embassy is the responsibility of the host nation. While diplomatic missions can also employ their own security, ultimately, the host nation is accountable for security.
(Source: IE)
