Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization

Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO)
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Map indicating worldwide UNPO membership (click to enlarge and for legend).
Headquarters	Brussels, Belgium
Membership	43 groups[1]
Leaders
• General Secretary[2]	Ralph J. Bunche III (2018-present)
• President[2]	Nasser Boladai
• Vice-Presidents[2]	Dolkun Isa Abdirahman Mahdi
Establishment	11 February 1991
Website http://www.unpo.org/

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The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) is an international membership organization established to facilitate the voices of unrepresented and marginalised nations and peoples worldwide. It was formed on 11 February 1991^[3][4] in The Hague, Netherlands. Its members consist of indigenous peoples, minorities, and unrecognised or occupied territories. UNPO works to develop the understanding of and respect for the right to self-determination, provides advice and support related to questions of international recognition and political autonomy, trains groups on how to advocate for their causes effectively, and directly advocates for an international response to human rights violations perpetrated against UNPO member groups. Some former members, such as Armenia, East Timor, Estonia, Latvia, Georgia and Palau, have gained full independence and joined the United Nations.^[5][6]

Contents

• 
  1 History
  


• 
  2 Aims
  


• 
  3 Members
  


• 
  4 Suspensions
  


• 
  5 Former members
  


• 
  6 Leadership
  


• 
  7 See also
  


• 
  8 References
  


• 
  9 External links
  

History

UNPO was conceived of in the 1980s by leaders of self-determination movements, Linnart Mäll of the Congress of Estonia, Erkin Alptekin, of East Turkestan, and Lodi Gyari of Tibet, together with Michael van Walt van Praag, long the international law adviser of the 14th Dalai Lama. The founders were representatives of national movements of Estonia, Latvia, Tibet, Crimean Tatars, Armenia, Georgia, Tatarstan, East Turkestan, East Timor, Australian Aboriginals, The Cordillera, the Greek Minority in Albania, Kurdistan, Palau, Taiwan, and West Papua.^[7]

UNPO chose for its founding headquarters in 1991 The Hague in the Netherlands because the city aimed at becoming the International City of Peace and Justice and hosts international courts like the ICJ and ICC. UNPO has an advocacy office in Brussels, representation in Geneva and a network of associates and consultants based around the world. UNPO is funded by member contributions and donations from individuals and foundations.^[8] A key UNPO goal was to replicate the success of the 14th Dalai Lama's non-violent message, and they often mentioned his name in the early years of the organization, as well as including in publications pictures of him visiting UNPO and supporting statements he made of the organization.^[8][9]

To this end, UNPO trains its members in international law, international organizations, diplomacy, and public relations. UNPO has built its credibility by being the first organization to release on-ground information from remote areas, typically press releases from groups like MOSOP. Like Amnesty International, its techniques include issuing action alerts and being an objective source of information. UNPO is funded by member contributions and donations from individuals and foundations.^[8]

Aims

UNPO's vision is to affirm democracy as a fundamental human right, implement human, civil and political rights worldwide, uphold the universal right to autonomy and self-determination and further federalism. It encourages nonviolent methodologies to reach peaceful solutions to conflicts and oppression. UNPO supports members in getting their human and cultural rights respected and in preserving their environments. The organization provides a forum for members to network and assists them in participating at an international level.^[8]

Although UNPO members often have different goals, they have one thing in common: they are generally not represented diplomatically (or only with a minor status, such as observer) in major international institutions, such as the United Nations. As a result, their ability to have their concerns addressed by the global bodies mandated to protect human rights and address conflict is limited.^[8]

UNPO is dedicated to the five principles enshrined in its Covenant:

• The equal right to self-determination;


• Adherence to the internationally accepted human rights standards as laid down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international instruments;


• Adherence to the principles of democratic pluralism and rejection of totalitarianism and religious intolerance;


• Promotion of non-violence and the rejection of terrorism as an instrument of policy; and


• Protection of the natural environment.

All members are required to sign and abide by the UNPO Covenant.^{[citation needed]} UNPO members are required to be nonviolent.^[10]

It should be noted that contrary to popular perception, self-determination does not necessarily imply secession, separate nationhood, or even autonomy. It simply refers to the right of all peoples to freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development. The exercise of this right can result in a variety of outcomes, ranging from political independence to full integration within an existing state.

Members

The following are listed as members by the UNPO.^[1]

Original members are listed with pink background and in bold.

Member	Date joined	Represented by
Abkhazia	6 August 1991	Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia
Aceh	6 August 1991	Aceh-Sumatra National Liberation Front (ASNLF)
Afrikaners	15 May 2008	Freedom Front Plus
Ahwazi	14 November 2003	Democratic Solidarity Party of Al-Ahwaz
Ambazonia	28 March 2018	Ambazonia Governing Council
Assyria	6 August 1991	Assyrian Universal Alliance
Balochistan	1 March 2008	Balochistan National Party (Mengal)
Barotseland	23 November 2013
Batwa	17 January 1993	Community of Indigenous Peoples of Rwanda
Bellah People	6 June 2017	Malian Association for the Preservation of Bellah Culture (AMASCB-IKEWAN)
Brittany	8 June 2015	Kelc’h An Dael
Catalonia	14 December 2018	Catalan National Assembly
Chameria	8 June 2015
Chittagong Hill Tracts	6 August 1991	United People's Party of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (JSS)
Crimean Tatars	11 February 1991	Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People
District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.)	4 December 2015	D.C. Statehood Congressional Delegation
East Turkestan	11 February 1991	World Uyghur Congress
Gilgit Baltistan	20 September 2008	Gilgit Baltistan Democratic Alliance
Haratin	18 September 2011	Initiative de Résurgence du Mouvement Abolitionniste en Mauritanie (IRA)
Hmong	2 February 2007	Hmong ChaoFa Federated State
Iranian Kurdistan	2 February 2007	Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran
Kabylia	6 June 2017	Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia (MAK)-Anavad
Khmer Krom	15 July 2001	Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation
Lezghin	7 July 2012	Federal Lezgian National and Cultural Autonomy
Madhesh	14 October 2017	Alliance for Independent Madhesh
Nagalim	19 January 1993	National Socialist Council of Nagaland
Ogaden	6 February 2010	Ogaden National Liberation Front
Ogoni	19 January 1993	Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People
Oromo	19 December 2004	Oromo Liberation Front
Rehoboth Basters	2 February 2007	Captains Council
Savoy	15 July 2014	The Government of the State of Savoy
Sindh	19 January 2002	World Sindhi Institute
Somaliland	19 December 2004	Government of Somaliland
South Moluccas	6 August 1991	Government in Exile of the Republic of South Moluccas
Southern Azerbaijan	2 February 2007	South Azerbaijan Democratic Party
Southern Mongolia	2 February 2007	Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center (SMHRIC) (formerly Inner Mongolian People's Party))
Sulu	5 January 2015	Sulu Foundation of Nine Ethnic Tribes
Taiwan	11 February 1991	Taiwan Foundation for Democracy
Talysh	15 July 2014	National Talysh Movement
Tibet	11 February 1991	Central Tibetan Administration
West Balochistan	26 June 2005	Balochistan People's Party
West Papua	15 October 2014	Free Papua Movement
Western Togoland	2017	Homeland Study Group Foundation

Suspensions

Organizations representing nations may become suspended from the UNPO if they fail to follow its covenant.^[11]

Former members

Some members of the UNPO have left because of United Nations recognition, autonomy agreements, or for other reasons.

The following lists former and suspended members.^[1]

Former members who became part of United Nations are highlighted with a blue background. Original members are listed with pink background and in bold.

Former member	Date Joined	Date Withdrew	Note
Aboriginals of Australia	11 February 1991	7 July 2012	Represented by National Committee to Defend Black Rights
Albanians in Macedonia	16 April 1994	1 March 2008	Reached agreement on wider rights with Macedonia in 2001
Amazigh			World Amazigh Congress
Armenia	11 February 1991	2 March 1992	Became member of the UN in 1992
Bashkortostan	3 February 1996	30 June 1998
Bougainville	6 August 1991	1 March 2008	Reached autonomy agreement with Papua New Guinea in 2000
Burma	15 May 2008	13 February 2010	Represented by National Council of the Union of Burma
Buryatia	3 February 1996	13 February 2010	Represented by All-Buryat Association for the Development of Culture
Cabinda	17 April 1997	18 September 2011
Chechen Republic of Ichkeria	6 August 1991	10 September 2010
Chin	15 July 2001	26 November 2016	Represented by Chin National Front
Chuvash	17 January 1993	1 March 2008
Circassia	16 April 1994	6 November 2015	Represented by International Circassian Association
Cordillera	11 February 1991	6 November 2015	Represented by Cordillera Peoples' Alliance
Degar-Montagnards	14 November 2003	29 April 2016	Represented by Montagnard Foundation, Inc.
Dene	19 December 2004	9 October 2009	Represented by Buffalo River Dene Nation
Estonia	11 February 1991	17 August 1991	Became member of the UN in 1991
Gagauzia	16 April 1994	1 December 2007	Reached autonomy agreement with Moldova in 1994.
Georgia	11 February 1991	31 July 1992	Became member of the UN in 1991
Greek Minority in Albania	11 February 1991	7 July 2012	Represented by Democratic Union of the Greek Ethnic Minority in Albania
Hungarian Minority in Romania	30 July 1994	2015	Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania
Ingushetia	30 July 1994	1 March 2008
Inkeri	17 January 1993	9 October 2009
Iraqi Kurdistan	11 February 1991	1 July 2015	Represented by Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
Iraqi Turkmen	6 August 1991	27 November 2016	Represented by Iraqi Turkmen Front, Turkmen Nationalist Movement, Turkmen Wafa Movement, and Islamic Union of Iraqi Turkmens
Kalahui Hawai'i	3 August 1993	7 July 2012	Represented by Ka Lahui Hawaii
Karenni State	19 January 1993	7 July 2012	Represented by Karenni National Progressive Party
Khalistan	24 January 1993[12]	4 August 1993	Membership suspended on 4 Agust 1993 and suspension made permanent 22 January 1995.[13]
Komi	17 January 1993	9 October 2009
Kosovo	6 August 1991	24 March 2018	Represented by Democratic League of Kosovo
Kumyk	17 April 1997	1 March 2008
Lakotah Nation	30 July 1994	1 December 2007	Followed by the declaration of the Republic of Lakotah
Latvia	11 February 1991	17 August 1991	Became member of the UN in 1991
Maasai	19 December 2004	7 July 2012	Represented by Maasai Women for Education and Economic Development
Maohi	30 July 1994	1 December 2007
Mari	6 August 1991	9 October 2009
Mapuche	19 January 1993	26 April 2016	Represented by Mapuche Inter-Regional Council
Mon	3 February 1996	7 July 2012	Represented by Mon Unity League
Nahua del Alto Balsas	19 December 2004	20 September 2008
Nuxalk	23 September 1998	1 March 2008
Palau	11 February 1991	15 December 1994	Became member of the UN in 1994
Rusyn	23 September 1998	1 December 2007
Scania	19 January 1993	18 September 2011	Membership suspended on 18 September 2011.[14]
Sakha	3 August 1993	30 June 1998
Shan	17 April 1997	6 February 2010
Tatarstan	11 February 1991	1 March 2008
Timor-Leste	17 January 1993	27 September 2002	Became member of the UN in 2002
Tsimshian	2 February 2007	18 September 2011
Tuva Republic	3 February 1996	13 February 2010
Vhavenda	14 November 2003	1 July 2015	Represented by Dabalorivhuwa Patriotic Front
Zanzibar	6 August 1991	1 July 2015	Represented by Zanzibar Democratic Alternative, in cooperation with the Civic United Front

Leadership

Secretaries General^[15]

Name	Term
Michael van Walt van Praag (Netherlands)	1991–1998
Tsering Jampa (Tibet)	1997–1998
Helen S. Corbett (Australian Aboriginals)	1998–1999
Erkin Alptekin (Uyghurs)	1999–2003
Marino Busdachin (Italy)	2003–2018[16]
Ralph J. Bunche III (United States)	2018-present

Executive Director

• 
  Karl Habsburg-Lothringen – (Austria) 19 January 2002 – 31 December 2002

Chairmen of the General Assembly

• 
  Linnart Mäll – (Estonia) 1991–1993


• 
  Erkin Alptekin – (Uyghurs) 1993–1997


• 
  Seif Sharif Hamad – (Zanzibar) 1997–2001


• 
  John J. Nimrod – (Assyrians) 2001–2005


• Göran Hansson – (Scania) 2005–2006

Presidents

• Ledum Mitee – (Ogoni) 2006–2010


• Ngawang Choephel Drakmargyapon – 2010–2017


• Nasser Boladai (since 2017)

See also

• Federal Union of European Nationalities


• Micronations


• United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories


• Universal Declaration of the Rights of Peoples


• List of national liberation movements recognized by intergovernmental organizations


• European Free Alliance


• Stateless nation

References

1. 
   ^ ^abc "Members". UNPO. Retrieved 22 January 2019..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
   


2. 
   ^ ^abc "UNPO Organizational Structure". UNPO. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
   


3. 
   ^ "UNPO World Statesman.org". Worldstatesman. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
   


4. 
   ^ "About UNPO". UNPO. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
   


5. 
   ^ Barbara Crossette, Those Knocking, Unheeded, at UN's Doors Find Champion, New York Times, 18 December 1994.
   


6. 
   ^ Tishkov, Valerie, An Anthropology of NGOs, Eurozine, July 2008
   


7. 
   ^ Simmons, ed. Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization Yearbook 1995. Kluwer Law International. pp. 1–3. ISBN 90-411-0223-X.CS1 maint: Extra text: authors list (link)
   


8. 
   ^ ^abcde UNPO 20 th Anniversary Publication: Twenty Years of Promoting Nonviolence, Human Rights and Self Determination (PDF). The Hague, Netherlands: UNPO. 2011.
   


9. 
   ^ Gluckman, Ron (1998). "World's wanna-be republics find a home with UNPO". Asiaweek. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
   


10. 
    ^ Bob, Clifford (2005). The Marketing of Rebellion: Insurgents, Media, and International Activism. Cambridge University Press. pp. 47–48, 76–77.
    


11. 
    ^ UNPO Covenant
    


12. 
    ^ Downing, John D. H. John Derek Hall Downing (2011). Encyclopedia of Social Movement Media. SAGE. p. 290. ISBN 9780761926887.
    


13. 
    ^ Simmons, Mary Kate. Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization: yearbook. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. p. 187. ISBN 9789041102232. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
    


14. 
    ^ International Organizations N – W
    


15. 
    ^ "Worldstatesmen International Organizations". Worldstatesman. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
    


16. 
    ^ UNPO Presidency & Secretariat, UNPO web site.
    

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v t e Members of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization
Africa	Afrikaners   Ambazonia   Barotseland   Batwa  Bellah people  Haratin   Kabylia   Ogaden   Ogoni   Oromo   Rehoboth Basters   Somaliland  Western Togoland
North America	District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.)
Asia	Aceh   Ahwazi   Assyria   Balochistan   Chittagong Hill Tracts   East Turkestan   Gilgit Baltistan   Hmong   Iranian Kurdistan   Khmer Krom  Madhesh   Nagalim   South Moluccas   Southern Azerbaijan   Southern Mongolia   Sindh   Sulu   Taiwan   Talysh   Tibet   West Balochistan   West Papua
Europe	Abkhazia   Brittany   Catalonia   Chameria   Crimean Tatars   Lezghin   Savoy

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