UN chief calls Catalonia's autonomy from Spain illegitimate
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has described Catalonia’s bid to gain independence from Spain as illegitimate, arguing that the region is not recognized by the UN as a non-autonomous territory.
“When one speaks of self-determination, certain areas have been recognized by the United Nations as non-autonomous territories. But Catalonia does not fall into this category,” Ban stated on Saturday during an interview with Spanish media.
The development comes as Spanish pro-independence parties, which triumphed in the local parliamentary polls in September, insist that Catalonia is entitled to self-determination since it possesses its own language and distinct culture.
During the interview, the UN chief further praised authorities in Madrid citing what he described as their “respect for diversity: the culture, the languages, (and) the traditions."
"Spain is an independent and sovereign country that includes the Catalan region. It is in this way that it was admitted to the UN and acts within the international community."
Ban also expressed optimism that there would be "a consensual solution" for the differences between Barcelona and Madrid, “based on dialogue and conforming to the democratic tradition.”
Meanwhile, since the beginning of decolonization following World War II, the UN has only considered those territories that are geographically separate while ethnically and culturally distinct from the country governing them as “non-autonomous.”
Catalonia’s Junts pel Si (“Together for Yes”) and Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP) intend to pass a resolution in the local parliament next week in a bid to initiate the region’s formal secession from Spain in an effort to ultimately establish autonomy within 18 months.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, however, stated on Friday that the nation’s key political parties would join efforts to defend national unity against the independence push.
Last November, the Catalan president staged a symbolic independence referendum after authorities in Madrid blocked his bid to hold an official poll. Nearly 80 percent of the 2.2 million people who took part in the vote backed secession, though the turnout was slightly more than 40 percent.
Many Catalans believe their economy would be more prosperous on its own, complaining that a high portion of their taxes goes to the central government.
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