{"id":"F1997B01681","name":"Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (Privileges and Immunities) Regulations","slug":"asia-pacific-telecommunity-privileges-and-immunities-regulations","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":"6 of 1981","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":29292,"registerId":"commonwealth-F1997B01681-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-01","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (Privileges and Immunities) Regulations","content":"![](image.001.png)\n\nStatutory Rules 1981 No. 61\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nAsia-Pacific Telecommunity (Privileges and  \nImmunities) Regulations\n\nI, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL of the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations under the International Organizations (Privileges and Immunities) Act 1963.\n\nDated 21 January 1981.\n\nZELMAN COWEN\n\nGovernor-General\n\nBy His Excellency’s Command,\n\nA. A. STREET\n\nMinister of State for Foreign Affairs\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nCitation\n\n1. These Regulations may be cited as the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (Privileges and Immunities) Regulations.\n\nInterpretation\n\n2. In these Regulations, unless the contrary intention appears—\n\n> “the Act” means the International Organizations (Privileges and Immunities) Act 1963;\n\n> “the Organization” means the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity.\n\nAct to apply to Organization\n\n3. The Organization is declared to be an international organization to which the Act applies.\n\nOrganization to have juridical personality and legal capacities\n\n4. The Organization—\n\n(a) is a body corporate with perpetual succession;\n\n(b) has the capacity to contract; and\n\n(c) is capable, in its corporate name, of acquiring, holding and disposing of real and personal property and of instituting legal proceedings.\n\n> Note: NOTE\n\n> Note: 1. Notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 29 January 1981.","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The Regulations extend the reach of the International Organizations (Privileges and Immunities) Act 1963 to include the Asia‑Pacific Telecommunity by declaring it an international organisation (reg 3) and by granting it corporate personality and legal capacities (reg 4). They do not themselves modify the substantive privileges or immunities set out in the Act."},"complexity_factors":["Very short instrument: three operative regs that perform a narrow function (citation, declaration, legal capacities).","Primary substantive effects flow by reference to the International Organizations (Privileges and Immunities) Act 1963 (reg 3); understanding full effect requires consulting that Act.","Grants corporate personality and specific legal capacities (reg 4), which are straightforward but interact with property, contract and litigation law.","Low administrative discretion and low compliance burden in the Regulations themselves; downstream legal questions may arise when immunities are invoked.","Potential for legal disputes over the scope of privileges/immunities because the Regulations import the Act’s privileges rather than restating them."],"plain_english_summary":"These Regulations declare the Asia‑Pacific Telecommunity an international organisation under the International Organizations (Privileges and Immunities) Act 1963 and give it corporate legal personality with the ability to contract, hold property and sue or be sued. They affect the Telecommunity and any Australian parties that contract with or litigate against it by enabling the organisation to operate in Australia with the legal capacities and the privileges and immunities provided by the Act."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains tightly focused on its original purpose: conferring legal status and privileges on the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity. It does exactly what its title suggests and nothing more."},"complexity_factors":["Extremely short — only 4 operative provisions plus citation and interpretation","Minimal defined terms — only 2 definitions ('the Act' and 'the Organization')","No cross-references to other legislation beyond the parent Act","No conditional logic, exceptions, or procedural requirements","Straightforward declaratory language — simply applies existing legal framework to a named organisation"],"plain_english_summary":"This legislation gives special legal status to an international body called the **Asia-Pacific Telecommunity** — a regional organisation that works on telecommunications cooperation across the Asia-Pacific region.\n\n**What it does:**\n- Declares that the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity is covered by Australia's **International Organizations (Privileges and Immunities) Act 1963** — a law that grants certain protections and legal benefits to international bodies operating in Australia\n- Gives the organisation **legal personality** — meaning it can act like a legal person: sign contracts, own property, buy and sell assets, and sue or be sued in court\n- Ensures the organisation can continue to exist indefinitely (**perpetual succession**), even if its staff or leadership changes\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- The Asia-Pacific Telecommunity itself — it gains legal standing in Australia\n- Australian government agencies and courts — they must recognise the organisation's legal status\n- Anyone doing business with the organisation in Australia — they now know it has full legal capacity to enter contracts and hold property\n\n**Why it matters:**\nWithout this legal recognition, an international organisation might struggle to lease office space, hire staff, or operate bank accounts in Australia. This regulation ensures the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity can function effectively on Australian soil, similar to how other international bodies like the UN or WHO are treated."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/asia-pacific-telecommunity-privileges-and-immunities-regulations","history":"/api/acts/asia-pacific-telecommunity-privileges-and-immunities-regulations/history","analysis":"/api/acts/asia-pacific-telecommunity-privileges-and-immunities-regulations/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/asia-pacific-telecommunity-privileges-and-immunities-regulations/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/asia-pacific-telecommunity-privileges-and-immunities-regulations/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/asia-pacific-telecommunity-privileges-and-immunities-regulations/documents"}}