Catalonia’s push for independence from Spain is illegitimate, as the region has not been recognized by the United Nations as a non-autonomous territory, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told Spanish media.
“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 said in an interview with Spanish newspapers El Pais, El Mundo, ABC and La Vanguardia.
The UN chief praised the Spanish central authorities in Madrid for their “respect for diversity: the culture, the languages, 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,” he said.
Ban expressed hope there would be “a consensual solution” for the differences between Barcelona and Madrid, “based on dialogue and conforming to the democratic tradition.”
“I ask leaders and the Catalan people to engage in the dialogue” with the Spanish authorities, he said.
Catalonian Junts pel Si (“Together for Yes”) and Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP) are looking to pass a resolution in the local parliament next week to start the region’s formal secession from Spain, with the aim of establishing autonomy within 18 months.
On Friday, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said the country’s main political parties would join forces to defend national unity against the independence push.
“We are all in agreement on the unity of Spain, we all agree on national sovereignty, we are all in agreement that laws must be respected, we are all in agreement that all Spaniards are equal,” Rajoy is cited by AFP.
A poll by El Pais paper revealed a slip in support for independence inside Catalonia, with 41 percent speaking in favor of secession compared to 45 percent before September’s regional vote.
Despite only containing 16 percent of Spain’s population, Catalonia remains the country’s wealthiest region, producing 20 percent of its GDP. Many Catalonians consider the rest of Spain is an economic burden on them.
The longstanding independence drive has intensified in recent years due to the economic crisis.
However, the reasons given above for disqualifying Catalonia means that Biafra has a great chance of getting UN approval for independence from Nigeria and for those shouting “leave south south alone” they better start compiling evidences to convince UN on how Ikwerre man is culturally different from Ngwa man, or how Asaba man is different from Onitsha man or how Opobo man is different from Imo Man, or even how Ibibio man is culturally different from Abia man
