ABSTRACT
The concept of diplomatic personnel covers a broader range of individuals than merely diplomatic agents. Diplomatic privileges and immunities are also accorded to representatives of states to international organisations. The Vienna Convention on the Representation of States in their Relations with International Organisations of a Universal Character 1975 currently has 31 states parties but is not yet in force. Consular officers perform a crucial role in the diplomatic relations of states. High-ranking state officials, although engaged in the wider process of diplomacy, are not considered as diplomatic personnel. Where an individual acts as the representative of a state, international law provides to them immunity from civil jurisdiction in respect of their official acts. As the complexity of international relations has increased, states have found themselves increasingly involved in the creation of international regimes taking the form of international institutions. International law provides privileges and immunities as well as inviolability to certain categories of individuals based upon their status.
