Vorlesung Völkerrecht II Diplomaten- und Konsularrecht Prof. Dr. Andreas Zimmermann, LL.M. (Harvard)

Diplomatenrecht Diplomaten werden als Auslandsvertreter eines Staates (Entsendestaat) in einen anderen Staat (Empfangsstaat) oder zu einer Internationalen Organisation entsandt, um eine ständige Kommunikation mit dem Gaststaat zu ermöglichen, die politischen, wirtschaftlichen, kulturellen oder sonstigen zwischenstaatlichen Beziehungen zu fördern und die eigenen Interessen wahrzunehmen, z.B. den Schutz der eigenen Staatsangehörigen im Gaststaat.

Diplomatenrecht Entwicklung reicht ins Mittelalter zurück Regelungen im Wiener Kongress 1815 und im Aachener Protokoll von 1818 18. April 1961: Kodifikation des Wiener Übereinkommens über diplomatische Beziehungen (WÜD) 14. März 1975: Wiener Konvention über die Vertretung von Staaten in ihren Beziehungen mit Internationalen Organisationen universellen Charakters

Diplomatenrecht Art. 3 WÜD: (1) The functions of a diplomatic mission consist, inter alia, in: (a) Representing the sending State in the receiving State; (b) Protecting in the receiving State the interests of the sending State and of its nationals, within the limits permitted by international law; (c) Negotiating with the Government of the receiving State; (d) Ascertaining by all lawful means conditions and developments in the receiving State, and reporting thereon to the Government of the sending State; (e) Promoting friendly relations between the sending State and the receiving State, and developing their economic, cultural and scientific relations.

Diplomatenrecht Art. 4 WÜD: (1) The sending State must make certain that the agrément of the receiving State has been given for the person it proposes to accredit as head of the mission to that State. (2) The receiving State is not obliged to give reasons to the sending State for a refusal of agrément.

Diplomatenrecht Art. 9 WÜD: (1) The receiving State may at any time and without having to explain its decision, notify the sending State that the head of the mission or any member of the diplomatic staff of the mission is persona non grata or that any other member of the staff of the mission is not acceptable. In any such case, the sending State shall, as appropriate, either recall the person concerned or terminate his functions with the mission. A person may be declared non grata or not acceptable before arriving in the territory of the receiving State.

Diplomatenrecht Art. 22 WÜD: (1) The premises of the mission shall be inviolable. The agents of the receiving State may not enter them, except with the consent of the head of the mission. (2) 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. (3) The premises of the mission, their furnishings and other property thereon and the means of transport of the mission shall be immune from search, requisition, attachment or execution.

Diplomatenrecht Art. 29 WÜD: The person of a diplomatic agent shall be inviolable. He shall not be liable to any form of arrest or detention. The receiving State shall treat him with due respect and shall take all appropriate steps to prevent any attack on his person, freedom or dignity.

Diplomatenrecht Art. 31 Abs. 1 WÜD: A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State. He shall also enjoy immunity from its civil and administrative jurisdiction, except in the case of: (a) A real action relating to private immovable property situated in the territory of the receiving State, unless he holds it on behalf of the sending State for the purposes of the mission; (b) An action relating to succession in which the diplomatic agent is involved as executor, administrator, heir or legatee as a private person and not on behalf of the sending State; (c) An action relating to any professional or commercial activity exercised by the diplomatic agent in the receiving State outside his official functions.

Diplomatenrecht Zivilgerichtliche Immunität, LAG Berlin-Brandenburg: „[...] die diplomatische Immunität [kennt] grundsätzlich keine Ausnahmen für besonders gravierende Rechtsverstöße; dies gilt auch für die zivilrechtliche Inanspruchnahme des Diplomaten. Die Diplomatenimmunität ist unverzichtbar für die Pflege zwischenstaatlicher Beziehungen, die es den Staaten unabhängig von ihren unterschiedlichen Verfassungs- und Sozialsystemen erlaubt, ein gegenseitiges Verständnis zu entwickeln und ihre Meinungsverschiedenheiten mit friedlichen Mitteln beizulegen. […] Die diplomatische Immunität vor gerichtlicher Verfolgung […] ist einer Relativierung nicht zugänglich.“

Konsularrecht Das Konsularrecht entstand aus den Handelsbeziehungen des Mittelalters 24. April 1963: Wiener Übereinkommen über konsularische Beziehungen (WÜK)

Konsularrecht Im Unterschied zur Pflege der diplomatischen Beziehungen durch Botschaften nehmen Konsulate heute vorrangig Wirtschafts- und Handelsinteressen einschließlich wissenschaftlicher und kultureller Beziehungen sowie administrative Aufgaben ihres Entsendestaates wahr, Art. 5 WÜK Ein zweiter Schwerpunkt liegt in der Betreuung der Angehörigen des Entsendestaates, v.a. bei der Vertretung vor den Gerichten und Behörden

Konsularrecht Art. 12 WÜK: (1) The head of a consular post is admitted to the exercise of his functions by an authorization from the receiving State termed an exequatur, whatever the form of this authorization. (2) A State which refused to grant an exequatur is not obliged to give to the sending State reasons for such refusal.

Konsularrecht Art. 40 WÜK: The receiving State shall treat consular officers with due respect and shall take all appropriate steps to prevent any attack on their person, freedom or dignity.

Konsularrecht Art. 31 WÜK: (1) Consular premises shall be inviolable to the extent provided in this article. (2) The authorities of the receiving State shall not enter that part of the consular premises which is used exclusively for the purpose of the work of the consular post except with the consent of the head of the consular post or of his designee or of the head of the diplomatic mission of the sending State. The consent of the head of the consular post may, however, be assumed in case of fire or other disaster requiring prompt protective action.

Konsularrecht Art. 23 WÜK: The receiving State may at any time notify the sending State that a consular officer is persona non grata or that any other member of the consular staff is not acceptable. In that event, the sending State shall, as the case may be, either recall the person concerned or terminate his functions with the consular post.

Konsularrecht Art. 36 WÜK: (1) With a view to facilitating the exercise of consular functions relating to nationals of the sending State: (a) consular officers shall be free to communicate with nationals of the sending State and to have access to them. Nationals of the sending State shall have the same freedom with respect to communication with and access to consular officers of the sending State; (b) if he so requests, the competent authorities of the receiving State shall, without delay, inform the consular post of the sending State if, within its consular district, a national of that State is arrested or committed to prison or to custody pending trial or is detained in any other manner. Any communication addressed to the consular post by the person arrested, in prison, custody or detention shall be forwarded by the said authorities without delay. The said authorities shall inform the person concerned without delay of his rights under this subparagraph […]

Konsularrecht Zu Art. 36 WÜK: IGH, LaGrand-Fall, 1999 (Deutschland v. USA) IGH, Avena-Fall, 2004 (Mexiko v. USA)

Konsularrecht Zu Art. 36 WÜK - BVerfG, Beschluss vom 19.9.2006: Innerhalb der deutschen Rechtsordnung stehen völkerrechtliche Verträge wie das Konsularrechtsübereinkommen, denen die Bundesrepublik Deutschland beigetreten ist, im Range eines Bundesgesetzes (vgl. Art. 59 Abs. 2 Satz 1 GG). Die Fachgerichte sind daher verpflichtet, Art. 36 WÜK ebenso wie das nationale Strafprozessrecht anzuwenden und auszulegen. Bei der Auslegung von Art. 36 WÜK haben sie die Rechtsprechung des Internationalen Gerichtshofs zum Konsularrechtsübereinkommen zu berücksichtigen. Dies ergibt sich aus dem Grundsatz der Völkerrechtsfreundlichkeit des Grundgesetzes in Verbindung mit der Bindung der Rechtsprechung an Gesetz und Recht, welche die Entscheidungen eines völkerrechtlich ins Leben gerufenen internationalen Gerichts nach Maßgabe des Inhalts des inkorporierten völkerrechtlichen Vertrags umfasst.