The Northern Ireland Arms Decommissioning Act 1997 (Cessation of Section 7) Order 2011
Article 2 of this Order appoints 31st March 2011 as the day at the end of which section 7 of the Northern Ireland Arms Decommissioning Act 1997 ceases to have effect. Section 7 of the 1997 Act makes provision in respect of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (the Commission). The Commission will cease to operate at the end of 31st March 2011 by virtue of an exchange of letters between Her Majesty’s Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of Ireland which will terminate the Agreement between those governments which establishes the Commission. Immunities and privileges enjoyed by members, staff and agents of the Commission and other persons who have carried out work for or given advice to the Commission are preserved by article 3 in respect of official duties carried out by them on or before 31st March 2011. And article 3(3) and (4) provides that the official archives of the Commission will continue to enjoy the inviolability that is accorded to the official archives of a diplomatic mission in accordance with the Articles of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961 which are set out in Schedule 1 to the Diplomatic Privileges Act 1964 except to the extent they are waived by Her Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom with the agreement of the Government of Ireland.