Diplomatic Bag

Definition

A pouch or container used by diplomatic missions to transport official correspondence and documents, protected from search or seizure under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961). While not a commercial logistics service, diplomatic bags illustrate the principle of inviolable transport that inspires OBC practices — the courier maintains unbroken custody, and the contents are exempt from customs inspection. Some time-critical logistics providers offer "diplomatic-style" service with equivalent security and chain-of-custody protocols.