The following is quoted from the ITU website. In the interests of DX news, DX-World has come to the conclusion this latest development is newsworthy and therefore published in full with relevant links. Equally, we are happy to make public any response from those behind the Z6 drive. Kosovo became a new DXCC entity earlier this year.
NOTE: It should be pointed out that the Z6 prefix appears on the ARRL ITU Table of Allocation of International Call Sign Series website yet it’s not showing on the official ITU Table of International Call signs.
“Following the inquiry of the Administration of Serbia of 16 March 2018 regarding the use of Call Sign Series Z6 by amateur radio stations of Kosovo*, I would like to provide the following statement:
Pursuant to Article 19 of the Radio Regulations, notably its provisions Nos. 19.28B and 19.33, the management of international series of call signs is a prerogative of ITU. Call sign series can be allocated only to the administrations of the ITU Member States by world radiocommunication conferences or, between radiocommunication conferences, by the ITU Secretary-General. In this respect, the attention of the ITU administrations is drawn to the fact that ITU has not allocated call sign series Z6 to any of its Member States. Consequently, the utilization of call signs series Z6 by any entity without a formal allocation and consent of the ITU represents an unauthorized and illegal usage of this international numbering resource.
* This designation is without prejudice to position on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ opinion on Kosovo declaration of independence”.
https://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-t/opb/sp/T-SP-OB.1149-2018-OAS-PDF-E.pdf
https://www.itu.int/pub/T-SP-OB.1149-2018
https://www.itu.int/search#?q=z6&fl=0&ex=false
according to Wikipedia Kosovo gained diplomatic recognition as a sovereign state by 113 UN member states – that’s a big difference to so called countries like D1 or 1B
What about the 6O prefix (so called Somaliland)? No country on earth has ever recognized ‘Somaliland’ as independant country, nor its government. But QSOs with stations using 6O calls are accepted as being legitimate QSOs, valid for DXCC-entity ‘Somalia’ (which is funny, since the 6O government regards itself NOT as Being part of Somalia, but as a seperated, independant country). Simply because the ARRL accepted it as such over a decade ago. I never understood this ARRL-policy.
It’s not my problem mind you, as it has provided me with many bands/modes. But nevertheless a weird policy. Not an isolated incident, it seems.
Maybe because now it counts for DXCC. Formerly it was like “D1” or “1B” today.
So, when is Z6 due for a deletion from the DXCC list? The good news is we will have one more (deleted) country in our DXCC score.
The prefix have been in use almost 10 years,…..Why ITU (or someone else) reacted so late,….
On HamSphere Kosovo is a DXHC !
D1 are abusive at well, but not valid for dxcc…
What is their opinion on D1 callsigns in the “Donetz People’s Republic”?
1A-1S-1B(Blenheim reef) 8z4-8z5-St0 etc .. nothing new for DXCC DESK ! SERBIA : I guess that you have a huge bunch of ennemies on the dx window… your worst move ever. How abt 4n4 in1994-1995 ? VERITAS SPLENDOR ☺
The Yanks are going crazy again, “You’re missing the DXCC rule which allows for entity status if an entity has a recognized IARU society AND is on the State Dept. list of Independent States.”
That the call sign block used in Kosovo is internationally illegal is of no concern to them. The State Dept, wooo..
Henry is right, 1A0 and 1S are illegal and I think Palestine too but I’m not sure of the latter.
To play Devil’s Advocate are you therefore saying all previous 1A callsigns and DXpeditions are illegal?
But the same we can tell about 1A0 or 1S ? Nothing new under the sun… 😉
Get Trump to solve it
Well we saw that coming, there not being a prefix block assigned.