In the First Draft, the text of what later became Art. 19 was still attached to the general statement that the Centre shall have international legal personality (History, Vol. II, p. 619) and was evidently meant as an explanation and elaboration of the general statement on legal personality. Later, a list of specific legal capacities, previously contained in a separate Article, was attached to the general statement on legal personality and capacity (see Art. 18, para. 2) to form what subsequently became Art. 18. As a consequence, the text of what became Art. 19 was put into a separate Article (History, Vol. I, p. 92). The legal relevance of this Article was not clarified in the discussions which barely touched upon it (History, Vol. II, pp. 739, 740, 743).

As it stands, Art. 19 is no more than a general introduction to the subsequent Articles. The Section referred to covers Arts. 18–24. The statement “to enable the Centre to fulfil its functions” may help to establish the exact extent of the immunities and privileges set out in the Convention. But the travaux préparatoires contain no indication that immunities and privileges that do not serve the Centre's functions should be denied or interpreted restrictively.