FDP urges new law Privileges would strengthen Bonn’s status as UN city
BONN · Liberal politician calls for Berlin to pass law, creating favorable conditions for international organizations which consider establishing themselves in Bonn.
For some time now, work has been going on at the Foreign Ministry to come up with a framework for special conditions that would be applied to international institutions and German organizations working internationally which establish themselves in Germany. This would be connected to certain privileges, immunities and conveniences, for example from a tax standpoint as is common in Switzerland for international organizations and NGOs. It is unclear, however when such a law might be passed. The Liberal Party (FDP) is now appealing to parliament members from the region to get to work in Berlin on passing such a law.
Bonn has already proposed this type of law several times because it is a competitive factor when up against other European cities. After the 17 million in funding provided by the government to support Bonn’s international role, a legal framework for international organizations is needed to go with it, believes FDP politician Ulli Hauschild.
“Federal Building Minister Renate Hendricks emphasized at the signing of the agreement that the federal government would, in the future, emphatically work towards establishing international organizations in the city. It is in Germany’s interest that Bonn, next to Geneva and Vienna, is established as a permanent European UN location,” argued Hauschild.
An attempt of the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) to settle in Bonn more than ten years ago, collapsed partly due to a missing framework, recognizing international law and subsequent diplomatic and tax privileges, recalls the FDP politician. A functioning framework of conditions for international institutions would make it easier for them to put down roots here.
(Orig. text: ca)
