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Q28 (IAS/2022) International Relations & Global Affairs › International Organisations & Groupings › United Nations system Official Key

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 ?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: D
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.

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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. With reference to the United Nations General Assembly, consider the following statements : 1. The UN General Assembly can grant observer…
At a glance
Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 3.3/10 · 6.7/10
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This 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.

How this question is built

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?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"may grant non-member states, international organizations and other entities observer status."
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states the General Assembly 'may grant non-member states ... observer status.'
  • Directly ties the authority to grant observer status to the General Assembly.
Web source
Presence: 5/5
"The United Nations General Assembly has granted observer status to international organizations, entities, and non-member states"
Why this source?
  • 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.
Web source
Presence: 5/5
"By resolution A/RES/67/19 of 29 November 2012, the General Assembly accorded non-Member Observer State status to Palestine."
Why this source?
  • 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.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 18: International Economic Institutions > ASIAN INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT BANK (AIIB) > p. 533
Strength: 5/5
“International Economic Institutions • Japan and the United States dominate ADB, whereas China dominates AIIB. The United States and Japan are not members of AIIB.• Both ADB and AIIB have AAA credit rating.• Subscribed capital and assets of AIIB are much less than those of ADB.• Lending till now by AIIB is quite less than that by ADB.• Achievements of AIIB: • AIIB gained the 'Permanent Observer' status by the United Nations in 2018. As on January 2021, AIIB has approved around 87 projects in various countries.”
Why relevant

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.

How to extend

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.

Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 24: Climate Change Organizations > 24.20. INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (IPCC) > p. 339
Strength: 4/5
“The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution, in December 1988, on the subject and endorsed the ALI Rights Reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced in any form or by any means, without permission in writing.”
Why relevant

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.

How to extend

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.

History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 15: The World after World War II > Yalta Conference > p. 252
Strength: 3/5
“On 24 October 1945 the UNO came into existence with 51 members. The main organs of the UN are the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice, and the UN Secretariat. The Norwegian Foreign Minister, Trygve Lie, was elected the first UN Trygve Lie The World after World War II 252 Secretary-General. In addition to its main organs, UNO has currently 15 specialised agencies. Some of the prominent agencies are: International Labour Organisation (ILO - Geneva), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO - Rome), International Monetary Fund (IMF - Washington (D.C)), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO - Paris), World Health Organization (WHO - Geneva), and World Bank (Washington (D.C)).”
Why relevant

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.

How to extend

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.

Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: International Organisations > Chapter 4 International Organisations > p. 50
Strength: 3/5
“It was founded with the hope that it would act to stop the conflicts between states escalating into war and, if war broke out, to limit the extent of hostilities. Furthermore, since conflicts often arose from the lack of social and economic development, the UN was intended to bring countries together to improve the prospects of social and economic development all over the world. By 2011, the UN had 193 member states. These includeed almost all independent states. In the UN General Assembly, all members have one vote each. In the UN Security Council, there are five permanent members. These are: the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France and China.”
Why relevant

Notes that in the UN General Assembly all members have one vote each, implying the GA is a decision-making forum of member states.

How to extend

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.

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
Strength: 3/5
“That is because the international system is a rather brutal arena in which there is no central authority capable of controlling behaviour. Within a country, the threat of violence is regulated by an acknowledged central authority — the government. In world politics, there is no acknowledged central authority that stands above everyone else. It is tempting to think that the United Nations is such an authority or could become such an institution. However, as presently constituted, the UN is a creature of its members and has authority only to the extent that the membership allows it to have authority and obeys it.”
Why relevant

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.

How to extend

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.

Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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SIMILAR QUESTIONS

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With reference to the United Nations, consider the following statements : 1. The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of UN consists of 24 member States. 2. It is elected by a 2/3 majority of The General Assembly for a 3-year term. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

IAS · 2007 · Q110 Relevance score: 3.74

Consider the following statements: 1. China has the observer’s status at the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. 2. India has the observer’s status at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

IAS · 2005 · Q99 Relevance score: 2.02

Consider the following statements: 1. The Charter of the United Nations Organization was adopted at Geneva, Switzerland in June, 1945. 2. India was admitted to the United Nations Organization in the year 1945. 3. The Trusteeship Council of the United Nations Organization was established to manage the affairs of territories detached from Japan and Italy after the Second World War or such territories not under the control of a country at that time. Which of the statements is/are correct?