Vienna Convention on Consular Relations

The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations is the multilateral treaty that sets the framework for consular relations between sovereign states. It was adopted on 24 April 1963 at a United Nations conference held in Vienna from 4 March to 22 April 1963, and it has been in force since 1967. Its 79 articles codify consular practice that had grown out of state custom and bilateral agreements, defining the functions of consuls, the rights and immunities of consular officers and offices, and the duties of the sending and receiving states. Among its best known rules are the inviolability of consular premises, the protection of consular communications and bags, the right of a host state to declare a consular staff member persona non grata, and Article 36, which gives foreign nationals who are arrested the right to have their consulate notified. The English, French, Chinese, Russian and Spanish texts are equally authentic, and 182 states have ratified it.