On behalf of the JA 1 UT DX Team. Ray Gerrard HS0/G3NOM Location: Bangkok, Thailand That Prefix! ZC6 1. There has been some concern about the recent use of the ZC6 prefix/suffix, both on the Internet DX Reflector, and on the air. 2. I therefore offer the following information, on behalf of the JA 1 UT group, in the hope that people will have a better understanding of its present use by the Palestinian Authority. Firstly, it must be stated that the call-signs used by the JA 1 UT group (/ZC6) were issued in writing by the Telecommunications Directorate/Ministry of the Palestinian Authority. Therefore, these are not call- signs arbitrarily chosen or suggested by amateurs but ones which have been issued in a written licence with appropriate conditions of operation, by the competent authority. 3. Although I have been directly involved in discussion i and correspondence between ITU and the Palestinian .! Authority (PA) on this issue, I cannot claim to have any official role, or authority, except as the coordinator of a small United Nations Aid project administered under the ITU Kyoto 1994 aid agreement on Palestine. In this role, I was asked to communicate with the relevant parties to obtain ITU help in the assignment of a unique call-sign allocation for Palestine, so that a "conventional" call sign could be used in the project. This quest is still in progress. 4. I think it is common knowledge that the ZC6 prefix originated from the British Administration of Palestine as a "mandated territory" by international agreement (League of Nations/United Nations). The British Forces, and Territorial Administration were present 1923 to 1948 ( I stand to be corrected on the first date). In 1948 the British Forces, and the Territorial Administration withdrew from Palestine. However, I am informed by senior Palestinian officials that the withdrawal and termination of administration, was not internationally agreed, and the relinquishment of the mandate was not formally declared by Britain. Therefore, technically, in the view of some officials of the PA, Britain still holds a mandate to administer the territory. Additionally, no orders were received to withdraw the ZC6 prefix. From 1948 to 1968, the ZC6 prefix, continued to be used, by UN personnel and others, by default. 5. In 1968 the territory of Palestine was occupied by Israel. 6. Since 1991 a series of Peace agreements have confirmed or restored the powers of the PA to assign and licence Telecommunications Services such as the Amateur Radio Service for the territory of Palestine. 7. Since October 1994 formal requests have been made to the ITU for the allocation of new prefixes for the territory, and to advise the PA's intention to use the ZC6 allocation by default. I have copies of the documents. The ITU has advised the British Telecommunications Administration about the PA's use of the ZC6. No reaction has been received from the UK by ITU up to 26th June 1996. The PA has advised the British Foreign Office of the use of the ZC6 prefix also 8. A recent Email on the OX Reflector from Bren G4DYO has indicated that the UK Radiocommunication Agency, seem to be taking a "Iaisser faire" attitude towards the use of ZC6 by Palestine. 9. On my recent visit to Palestine, with JA 1 UT, we discussed this matter with the Deputy Minister of the MPT, the Director General responsible for Amateur Radio affairs, and Dr Sami ZC6B, President of the Palestinian Wireless Society. The conclusions drawn from the discussions were: a) The application to the ITU for new prefixes would be pursued, until these are issued in due course. b) The continued and future use of ZC6, by default, and in the absence of any new prefixes, would be a matter for the PA to discuss further with the ITU and the British Telecommunications Administration if necessary. (Note: Precedents exist where ex British Ruled Territories have inherited the previous British assigned prefix on independence. So, it is not inconceivable that Palestine could continue to use this prefix without violating international convention.) I hope this information explains the current use of the prefix/suffix, and a little of the history. I hope this also illustrates that it is not being used in ignorance or in an irresponsible way. Finally, I think it is incorrect to describe the use of any prefix as "illegal" since, I believe the ITU operates by international consent and convention. Therefore, at worst it could be described as "un-conventional". 73 de Ray Gerrard G3NOM (SK)