Establishing a country may seem like a manageable task to some: Settling clear geographical borders? Easy-peasy; Forming a functioning government? Can’t be that difficult; and bonding with other sovereign states? That’s all in the people-skills. But it is actually far more complicated to establish a country than some may think, with a process that can take decades and often involves mountains of bureaucracy, a multitude of setbacks and devastating bloodshed.
South Sudan was accepted into the United Nations in 2011, making it the most recent nation to gain sovereignty. Since then, many other nations have made bids for international recognition but have not been as successful. One such example is Kurdistan which can be found in an area spanning Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Armenia and has been seeking independence since the land in the Middle East was divided up in the 1920’s. There are 25-35 million Kurds making them the fourth largest ethnic group in the Middle East and the largest ethnic group without a homeland worldwide. The Kurdish people’s quest for independence has involved them in conflicts with the Islamic State and led them to running an independence referendum in 2017 which, although non-binding, found 92.7% of votes endorsed independence. Interestingly, this referendum was rejected by Iraq, the country that many Kurds reside in, and many other UN member states. Another nation which is currently fighting for independence is Somaliland. The area, with a population of 3.5 million, broke away and declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but no foreign power recognises Somaliland’s sovereignty even though it is self-governing with an independent government, democratic elections, and a distinct history. After withdrawal of British control in 1960, Somaliland merged with present-day Somalia which was then under Italian rule, beginning a long and often violent struggle. During the subsequent decades the Somali National Movement emerged in Somaliland and declared the region independent in 1991. Even though Somaliland is in some ways more politically stable with lower crime rates and violence than Somalia itself, there are fears that formal recognition of Somaliland as an independent country would encourage other secessionist movements on the African continent to also seek independence which would be detrimental to the main power balances. The two examples of Kurdistan and Somaliland can be used to show some of the barriers that are placed in front of nations attempting to gain independence such as a lack of international approval and external fears of what precedent it may create.
So, what does it take to be a country? The Rock musician Frank Zappa once said, “You can’t be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline”. Although his point does make an almost factually accurate punch line (95% of countries do have at least one airline associated with them and 82% of countries produce some type of beer) becoming a “real” country takes measures far beyond material goods and is outlined in the 3-step guide below:
Step 1: The country must declare their intentions and make sure they align with the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States, adopted in 1933. To align with the convention, They must:
- Exist within a clearly defined territory
- Have a permanent population – so issues of citizenship have been sorted
- Have a government
- Be able to enter relations with other sovereign states
Step 2: The country must gain international recognition and allies which is a decision made on the
personal basis of other countries. As a new country, it is always helpful to have powerful allies as they can provide support in any potential conflicts and political quagmires that arise.
Step 3: The country must be accepted into the United Nations by:
- Submitting an application to the secretary-general and a letter formally accepting the obligations under the UN Charter
- The Security Council will then consider the application. To be accepted the application must receive a majority of 9 out of 15 provided no veto power is used
- If the Council recommends admission then it will be put to a general assembly vote where a 2/3rds majority is needed
- Membership becomes effective the date the resolution for admission is adopted.
So, there we have it. Not every country attempting to establish independence will follow this exact guide, but it does set out the different legal hurdles that nations have to jump through in order to be officially internationally recognised.
