Question map
With reference to the United Nations General Assembly, consider the following statements : 1. The UN General Assembly can grant observer status to the non-member States. 2. Inter-governmental organisations can seek observer status in the UN General Assembly. 3. Permanent Observers in the UN General Assembly can maintain missions at the UN headquarters, Which of the statements given above are correct ?
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 4 (1, 2 and 3) because all three statements accurately reflect the protocols of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
- Statement 1 is correct: The UNGA has the authority to grant observer status to non-member states (such as the Holy See and the State of Palestine), allowing them to participate in sessions without voting rights.
- Statement 2 is correct: Under UNGA Resolution 45/6, observer status is specifically confined to States and Inter-governmental Organizations (IGOs) whose activities are of interest to the Assembly. Examples include the African Union and the European Union.
- Statement 3 is correct: Permanent Observers are entitled to maintain permanent missions at the UN Headquarters in New York. This facilitates continuous liaison with the UN Secretariat and participation in various meetings.
Since all statements are factually and legally sound under UNGA rules, Option 4 is the right choice.
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis question bridges 'Standard Economy' (AIIB status) with 'Global Current Affairs' (Palestine's UN bid). While it looks like a niche International Law question, it relies on the 'Possibility Heuristic'—statements using 'can' regarding administrative powers are often correct.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Does the United Nations General Assembly have the authority to grant observer status to non-member States?
- Statement 2: Can intergovernmental organizations obtain observer status in the United Nations General Assembly?
- Statement 3: Are Permanent Observers to the United Nations General Assembly permitted to maintain missions at UN headquarters in New York?
- Explicitly states the General Assembly 'may grant non-member states ... observer status.'
- Directly ties the authority to grant observer status to the General Assembly.
- Says the General Assembly 'has granted observer status to ... non-member states', confirming practice and authority.
- Explains the Assembly determines privileges for observers, indicating control over observer arrangements.
- Provides a concrete example where the General Assembly 'accorded non-Member Observer State status to Palestine' by resolution.
- Shows the Assembly exercises this authority through formal resolutions.
Explicit example: the AIIB 'gained the "Permanent Observer" status by the United Nations in 2018', showing the UN grants observer status to non-member entities.
A student could generalise that the UN (via its organs) can confer observer status on non-member organisations and then check whether the General Assembly is the organ that routinely grants such status.
Shows the General Assembly adopts resolutions on international bodies (here endorsing the IPCC), indicating the GA acts on matters involving non-member organisations and bodies.
One could infer that since the GA adopts resolutions concerning external bodies, it may also be the forum that authorises observer arrangements; verify by checking GA resolutions or practice.
Identifies the General Assembly as one of the main organs of the UN, implying it is a principal body through which the UN addresses institutional matters.
Knowing the GA is a primary organ, a student could look for GA decisions or rules concerning membership and participation to see if observer status is handled there.
Notes that in the UN General Assembly all members have one vote each, implying the GA is a decision-making forum of member states.
A student could infer that decisions about participation rights (like observer status) are plausibly made in a voting forum and then check GA procedures and past votes on observer admissions.
States that the UN is a creature of its members and has authority only as permitted by membership, suggesting procedural authority (such as admitting observers) depends on member-state approval.
One could extend this to hypothesize that granting observer status would require member agreement (e.g., GA action), and then verify whether GA votes or consensus have been used in past observer recognitions.
- Explicitly records that the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (an international economic/intergovernmental institution) gained 'Permanent Observer' status with the United Nations in 2018.
- Names a concrete intergovernmental organization granted observer status, proving such status is available to non-member IGOs.
- The wording 'Permanent Observer' implies a formal, recognized observer relationship with UN organs such as the General Assembly.
- Explicitly states observers participate in the work of the General Assembly and 'maintaining permanent offices at Headquarters'.
- Mentions some organizations do not maintain offices, implying that maintaining permanent offices at Headquarters is a recognized practice for observers.
- Refers to a historical list titled 'Non-Member Nations Maintaining Permanent Observers Offices at Headquarters', directly tying observers to permanent offices at HQ.
- States that other states may have maintained permanent observers offices at other times, reinforcing that observers have been permitted to maintain missions.
- Names an actual 'Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations', showing an observer with a mission at UN Headquarters.
- Provides a concrete example of an observer entity maintaining a permanent mission.
States the UNO/UN has its Headquarters in New York, establishing a single, physical location where representation and missions would be based.
A student could combine this with the basic fact that organizations located in one city normally host permanent delegations there to infer observers might seek missions at that HQ and then check rules on such presences.
Notes that key discussions occur in the General Assembly and identifies the Secretary‑General and the central role of UN organs, implying the need for continual representation by states/actors at UN sessions.
A student could reason that entities wanting access to GA deliberations likely maintain a presence in New York and then verify whether observer status includes permission to keep a mission.
Points out that UN membership confers automatic membership of principal organs, highlighting that different statuses (member vs non‑member) carry different rights and privileges.
A student could use this pattern to infer that Permanent Observers, being non‑members, may have distinct, limited entitlements regarding institutional access or missions, and should check the specific GA rules on observer privileges.
Emphasizes that the UN is physically located on US territory in New York, introducing the practical/legal issue that any mission there would be on another state's soil and subject to host‑country arrangements.
A student could combine this with basic knowledge about diplomatic missions being subject to host‑country agreements to investigate whether Permanent Observers require US/UN permissions to maintain missions at HQ.
Discusses debates over representation and reform in UN bodies, indicating that representation at the UN (who gets access, voice, seats) is a contested, rule‑based matter.
A student could infer that whether observers can have missions is likely governed by formal UN rules and political negotiations, prompting a check of GA resolutions or rules on observer participation and presence.
- [THE VERDICT]: Tough but Logical. Statement 2 is directly in Nitin Singhania (AIIB chapter), while 1 & 3 are derived from the high-profile 'Palestine Observer State' news.
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: United Nations System & Membership. Specifically, the distinction between 'Member States', 'Non-Member Observer States', and 'Observer Entities'.
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: (1) The only 2 Non-Member Observer States are Holy See and Palestine. (2) The EU has 'Enhanced' Observer status (can speak early). (3) India-led International Solar Alliance (ISA) was granted Observer Status in 2021. (4) Observers cannot vote on resolutions but can sponsor them.
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: When you read that AIIB or ISA got 'Observer Status' (a common current affair), do not stop at the headline. Ask the 'Polity' questions: Who granted it? (UNGA). What rights do they get? (No vote). Do they sit in New York? (Yes, Missions).
The General Assembly allocates one vote to each member state, highlighting the distinction between full members and other actors at the UN.
High-yield for UPSC: questions frequently probe UN structure and decision-making. Understanding membership vs non-membership clarifies who exercises formal voting power and ties to topics on state sovereignty and international law. This concept links to Security Council dynamics and reform debates.
- Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: International Organisations > Chapter 4 International Organisations > p. 50
The UN's authority depends on the consent and cooperation of its member states, which constrains what its organs can unilaterally decide.
Crucial for answering questions on UN effectiveness, sovereignty, and collective security. Explains why reforms and enforcement depend on member support and connects to debates on international institutions' legitimacy and power.
- Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Security in the Contemporary World > 66 Contemporary World Politics > p. 66
Entities such as international banks have been granted Permanent Observer status by the United Nations, illustrating that observer roles exist in practice.
Useful for questions on UN participation categories and rights of non-member actors. Recognising that observer status is a practiced category helps in comparisons between full membership, observer status, and specialised agency relationships; supports answering case-based questions about specific organisations or reform proposals.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 18: International Economic Institutions > ASIAN INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT BANK (AIIB) > p. 533
Permanent Observer status is a formal category that non-member intergovernmental organizations can hold at the United Nations.
High-yield for questions on UN structure and membership: explains how non-state or non-member intergovernmental bodies participate in UN deliberations without full membership; connects to topics on UN reform, diplomacy, and global governance. Useful for questions contrasting member rights with observer privileges.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 18: International Economic Institutions > ASIAN INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT BANK (AIIB) > p. 533
The UN system includes specialized agencies and interacts with intergovernmental organizations, enabling institutional links short of full membership.
Important for UPSC topics on international institutions and multilateralism: helps distinguish member states, specialized agencies, subsidiary bodies, and observers; supports analyses of coordination mechanisms across global institutions and policy areas (e.g., finance, health, environment).
- History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 15: The World after World War II > Yalta Conference > p. 252
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 18: International Economic Institutions > ASIAN INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT BANK (AIIB) > p. 533
The United Nations is physically located in New York, which determines where delegations and missions operate and where diplomatic facilities would be established.
High-yield for questions about UN functioning and diplomatic practice because the location of the UN shapes host-country influence, access, and logistical arrangements. Connects to topics on host-country privileges, headquarters agreements, and how physical location affects international organisation operations. Enables tackling questions about diplomatic missions, privileges, and institutional logistics.
- History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 15: The World after World War II > UNO Headquarters > p. 252
- Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: International Organisations > The UN in a Unipolar World > p. 59
The General Assembly comprises all member states while the Security Council has a distinct, smaller membership with permanent members, highlighting different rights and privileges within UN organs.
Important for UPSC because questions often contrast organ composition and authority (GA vs SC). Helps in answering items on voting power, reform debates, and which actors hold specific privileges. This concept links to international power structures and reform dynamics.
- Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: International Organisations > Chapter 4 International Organisations > p. 50
- Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: International Organisations > India and the UN Reforms > p. 57
- Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: International Organisations > Reform of Structures and Processes > p. 52
The International Solar Alliance (ISA) was granted Observer Status by the UN General Assembly in Dec 2021. This is the most probable future statement given India's leadership in it.
The 'Permissive Power' Hack: All three statements use permissive language ('can grant', 'can seek', 'can maintain'). In the context of a sovereign-like assembly (UNGA), it is administratively illogical for them to be *banned* from inviting guests or allowing those guests to have an office. Unless you know a specific prohibition in the UN Charter, 'Can' statements regarding administrative procedures are usually Correct. Mark All Correct.
Links to GS-2 (International Relations): The concept of 'Soft Sovereignty'. Gaining Observer Status is often a diplomatic strategy for entities (like Palestine) to gain de facto recognition without needing full Security Council approval (which faces Vetoes).