There is no basis in customary, conventional international law or domestic law for the spouse of a head of state to claim - as a right - some form of immunity when visiting a foreign state.
The new secretary general of the United Nations should drive substantive reforms, particularly accountability of the international body.
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Africa should focus on the feasible reforms of the UN and de-emphasise its demand for improved representation on the Security Council voting reforms, given the complex politics around these issues.
Outgoing UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s successor faces the challenge of making the organisation more accountable.
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The ‘functional immunity’ granted to UN officials made good sense when the body was founded after World War II. But as its organisational functions have expanded, so has this immunity.