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International
Parliament for Safety and Peace
Office
of Foreign Affairs and International Legal Affairs
Explanatory
Introduction to Diplomatic and Service Passports and
Laissez- Passer
The International Parliament for
Safety and Peace denominated
as (IPSP) – the intergovernmental organization of the
States
issues parliamentary passports by diplomatic decree to its Senators of the
High Chamber and to its Members of the Assembly.
Additionally it issues diplomatic passports only
for its highest ranking officials and dignitaries who hold
(functional or full) diplomatic immunity due to their
actions on behalf of said parliament.
The Documents of identity denominated "passports" are considered
a laissez-passer (from the French let pass)
and they are travel documents like the ones issued by a
national government or by other international treaty
organizations/intergovernmental organizations like e.g.
The United Nations . When issued by a national government a
laissez-passer is often for one-way travel to the issuing
country. When issued by an international
organization/intergovernmental organization it is often for
employee travel on official business.
The Parliamentary Passports of the
IPSP are like
U.N. laissez-passer similar to a passport, and are widely
recognized worldwide, although a few countries will not
accept a IPSP Passport or U.N. laissez-passer as sufficient
to gain entry. As mentioned before an IPSP Passports does
not (same like the U.N. laissez-passer) generally confer
diplomatic immunity (the IPSP Passports confers, however,
always parliamentary immunity), but may confer (functional)
immunities and privileges (IPSP diplomatic Passports). IPSP
Passports are printed in English, French and Spanish, have a
maroon-red cover and contain nationality and the place of
birth of the holder.
In past times, laissez-passers were commonly issued
during wartime and at other periods, literally acting as a
pass to allow travel to specific areas, out of war zones or
out of the country for various officials, diplomatic agents,
or representatives or citizens of third countries. The Laissez Passer was born during the Russian Revolution in
1917 and was called the "Nansen Passport"
by the world community then
(according to Fridtjof Nansen, Secretary General of
the Red Cross Society) for all the
poor and unprivileged citizens who where using that document
to gain protection. We can say that this was the birth of the Titre de
Voyage or Laissez Passer.
Examples for laissez-passer of other Interogvernmental
Organizations
United Nations
(UNO)
The Organisation of American States issues to its officials
for travel between member states a travel document (laissez-passer),
printed in Spanish, English and French and having light blue
covers indicating the nationality and place of birth of the
holder. The high-ranking officials enjoy diplomatic immunity
(functional immunity).
ASIA-PACIFIC
ECONOMIC COOPERATION (APEC)
The APEC BusinessTravel Card has the size
of a credit card. It contains a photograph and signature on
the front side for secure identity recognition. The reverse
side of the APEC Business Travel Card contains the holder's
passport number and the three letter code of each economy
that your APEC Business Travel Card is valid for travel to.
It is issued in English and 17 nations participate in this Laissez
passer
programme.
African Development Bank
(ADB)
The Bank issues two versions of a laissez-passer.The
ordinary document has a green cover and the diplomatic has a
red cover. Both contain 72 pages and are printed in English
and French.
International
Red Cross Society
The International Red Cross
authorities issue a Travel Document (laissez-passer)
in the form of a continuous sheet of eight pages printed in
seven languages. It is usually valid for one year and is
only exceptionally renewable for six months. It is usually
in use for refugees.
Organisation of African Unity (OAU)
The Organisation of African Unity issues to its officials a laissez-passer
printed in English, French, Arabic and Amharic; it has a
navy blue cover and contains 32 pages.
Organisation
of American States (OAS)
The Organisation of American States issues to its officials
for travel between member states a travel document (laissez-passer),
printed in Spanish, English, Portuguese and French and
having dark blue covers but not indicating the nationality
and place of birth of the holder.
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