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8 

JAM v. INTERNATIONAL FINANCE CORP. 

BREYER, J., dissenting 

many organizations contracted in scope in 1952, when the
State Department modified foreign government immunity 
to exclude commercial activities.  Most organizations could 
not  rely  on  the  treaty  provisions  quoted  above  to  supply
the  necessary  immunity.    That  is  because,  unless  the 
treaty provision granting immunity is “self-executing,” i.e., 
automatically  applicable,  the  immunity  will  not  be  effec-
tive in U. S. courts until Congress enacts additional legis-
lation  to  implement  it.  See  Medellin  v.  Texas,  552  U. S. 
491,  504–505  (2008);  but  see  id.,  at  546–547  (BREYER, J., 
dissenting).  And  many  treaties  are  not  self-executing.
Thus, in the ordinary case, not even a treaty can guaran-
tee immunity in cases arising from commercial activities.

The  UN  provides  a  good  example.  As  noted,  the  UN 
Charter  required  the  United  States  to  grant  the  UN  all 
“necessary”  immunities,  but  it  was  not  self-executing.  In 
1946,  the  UN  made  clear  that  it  needed  absolute  immu- 
nity from suit, including in lawsuits based upon its commer-
cial activities.  See Convention on Privileges and Immuni-
ties  of  the  United  Nations,  Art. II,  §2,  Feb.  13,  1946,  21 
U. S. T.  1422,  T. I. A. S.  No.  6900  (entered  into  force  Apr.
29,  1970);  see  also  App.  to  S. Exec.  Rep.  No.  91–17,  p. 14
(1970)  (“The  U. N.’s  immunity  from  legal  process  extends
to matters arising out its commercial dealings . . . ”).  But, 
until  Congress  ratified  that  comprehensive  immunity
provision  in  1970,  no  U. S.  law  provided  that  immunity 
but  for  the  Immunities  Act.    Id.,  at  1.  Both  the  UN  and 
the  United  States  found  this  circumstance  satisfactory
because  they  apparently  assumed  the  Immunities  Act 
extended  immunity  in  cases  involving  both  commercial 
and  noncommercial  activities:  When  Congress  eventually
(in  1970)  ratified  the  UN’s  comprehensive  immunity  pro-
vision, the Senate reported that the long delay in ratifica-
tion  “appears  to  have  been  the  result  of  the  executive 
branch  being  content  to  operate  under  the  provisions  of 
the” Immunities Act.  Id., at 2.