U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is calling on India and Pakistan to refrain from taking any steps that would affect the status of Kashmir.
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Thursday "the position of the United Nations on this region is governed by the Charter of the United Nations and applicable Security Council resolutions."
Dujarric reiterated that statement when asked if the secretary-general supports the Security Council's call for a plebiscite on the future of Kashmir.
He said Guterres also recalls the 1972 Simla agreement on bilateral relations between India and Pakistan "which states that the final status of Jammu and Kashmir is to be settled by peaceful means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations."
He said the secretary-general "is also concerned over reports of restrictions on the Indian-side of Kashmir, which could exacerbate the human rights situation in the region," and reiterates his call for "maximum restraint."
