A Former Diplomat’s Reflections on the Vienna Convention

Abstract

This chapter offers a personal perspective of the VCDR, from the perspective of a former British Ambassador. A focal point of the chapter is the question whether diplomats still need their immunities under the VCDR—a theme pursued in the context of postings in developing countries and developed western democracies. Several case studies illustrate the findings, including the ‘walk-in’ by four Soviet citizens into the British embassy in Moscow in 1972 and the shooting of Yvonne Fletcher from the Libyan People’s Bureau in London in 1984. The chapter also considers the VCDR’s implications on the promotion of friendly relations between States and the rule of non-interference. It thus builds a bridge between the scholarly and the professional approaches towards diplomatic relations and reaches the conclusion that the VCDR has stood up well and remains indispensable for the continued practice of diplomacy.