UN Secretariat Designates Jammu and Kashmir as a “Separate Country” Independent of India

SPOTLIGHT, ASIA--PACIFIC, BRICS, UNITED NATIONS, 5 Jun 2017

The aPolitical – TRANSCEND Media Service

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres

1 Jun 2017 – In an unprecedented move, the United Nations Department of Economic Affairs (DESA) at the UN Headquarters in New York has designated “Jammu and Kashmir” as a separate “country/geographical area”. In its database of Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) having Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), under section on “Country/Geographical area”, “Jammu and Kashmir” and “Occupied Syrian Golan” are listed as separate “country/geographical area”.

United Nations website showing India’s Jammu & Kashmir as a separate “country/geographical area” between Jamaica and Japan.

Both Jammu and Kashmir of India and Occupied Syrian Golan do not enjoy the status of “Non-member observer states” at the United Nations like Palestine (1974) and Holy See (1964). Nor is there any resolution of the UN General Assembly or the UN Security Council to designate Jammu and Kashmir and Occupied Syrian Golan as separate “country/geographical area”. Israel had occupied Syrian Golan from Syria in the closing stages of the 1967 Six-Day War.

United Nations website showing Occupied Syrian Golan as a separate “country/geographical area” between Norway and Oman.

Apart from the member States of the United Nations, there are only two permanent non-member observer states at the United Nations: the Holy See and Palestine. The observer States have the right to speak at General Assembly meetings, vote on procedural matters, serve as signatories on working papers, and sign resolutions, but not to sponsor resolutions or vote on resolutions of substantive matters. The other Observers to the UN are inter-governmental organisations of the member States of the UN like European Union, SAARC etc.

The Republic of China, commonly known as Taiwan, was a founding member of the United Nations representing China. In 1971 United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 transferred China’s seat in the UN from the ROC to the PRC. Since then, Taiwan has sought to resume its participation in UN activities but consistently blocked by China. A UN General Assembly considered Taiwan to be a province of China, and the UN Secretary General had earlier concluded that the resolution does not permit Taiwan to become a party to treaties for which the Secretary General is the depository.

The UN’s designation of Jammu and Kashmir and Occupied Golan Heights as separate “country/ geographical area” is inconsistent with its own standards. The UN non self-governing territories under the UN Special Committee on Decolonisation i.e. Western Sahara under Morocco; Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Montserrat, Saint Helena, Turks and Caicos Islands, Gibraltar and Pitcairn under United Kingdom; French Polynesia and New Caledonia under France, Tokelau under New Zealand and United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa and Guam under the United States are not designated as separate “country/geographical area”.

Neither Abkhazia which is part of Georgia and recognized by 6 UN Member States, Republic of China (Taiwan) recognized by 21 UN Member States and Kosovo currently part of Serbia but recognized by 107 UN Member States are designated as separate “country/geographical area”.

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