Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/18pdf/17-1011_mkhn.pdf
Page Number: 4.0

Cite as:  586 U. S. ____ (2019) 

1 

Opinion of the Court 

NOTICE:  This opinion is subject to formal revision before publication in the
preliminary  print  of  the  United  States  Reports.  Readers  are  requested  to 
notify the Reporter of Decisions, Supreme Court of the United States, Wash-
ington,  D. C.  20543,  of  any  typographical  or  other  formal  errors,  in  order
that corrections may be made before the preliminary print goes to press. 

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES 

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No. 17–1011 
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BUDHA ISMAIL JAM, ET AL., PETITIONERS v. 
INTERNATIONAL FINANCE CORPORATION 

ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF 
APPEALS FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUIT 

[February 27, 2019]

 CHIEF  JUSTICE  ROBERTS  delivered  the  opinion  of  the

Court. 

The International Organizations Immunities Act of 1945
grants  international  organizations  such  as  the  World 
Bank  and  the  World  Health  Organization  the  “same  im-
munity  from  suit  . . .  as  is  enjoyed  by  foreign  govern-
ments.”  22  U. S. C.  §288a(b).    At  the  time  the  IOIA  was 
enacted,  foreign  governments  enjoyed  virtually  absolute 
immunity  from  suit.  Today  that  immunity  is  more  lim-
ited.  Most  significantly,  foreign  governments  are  not 
immune from actions based upon certain kinds of commer-
cial activity in which they engage.  This case requires us to
determine  whether  the  IOIA  grants  international  organi-
zations  the  virtually  absolute  immunity  foreign  govern-
ments  enjoyed  when  the  IOIA  was  enacted,  or  the  more
limited immunity they enjoy today. 

Respondent  International  Finance  Corporation  is  an 
international  organization  headquartered  in  the  United 
States.  The  IFC  finances  private-sector  development 
projects  in  poor  and  developing  countries  around  the 
world.  About 10 years ago, the IFC financed the construc-