Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization

Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO)
Flag
Headquarters		The Hague, Netherlands
Membership		541 population groups
Leaders
-	General Secretary	Marino Busdachin (since 2003)
Establishment		February 11, 1991
Population
-	estimate	c.200 million
Website http://www.unpo.org/
1	Last updated in September 2008.

Map showing states containing one or more members of the UNPO

The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), initiated in 1990 in Tartu, Estonia,^[1] and formed in February 11, 1991, in the Hague, is a democratic, international organization. Its members are indigenous peoples, occupied nations, minorities and independent states or territories which lack representation internationally. The organization educates groups in what channels to use to make their voices heard, and helps defuse tensions so that frustrated groups do not turn to violence to gain attention for their demands. Some former members, like Armenia, East Timor, Estonia, Latvia and Georgia, have gained full independence and joined the United Nations.^[2][3]

UNPO aims to protect the members' human and cultural rights, preserve their environments, and to find non-violent solutions to conflicts which affect them. UNPO provides a forum for member aspirations and assists its members to participate at an international level.

UNPO members 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.

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. They must affirm that they support the principle of nonviolence in their people’s struggle for a peaceful solution and that they apply the democratic methodology as their guiding principle. Despite the "UN" in its acronym, UNPO is an NGO and not an agency of the United Nations.

Members

The following are the 54 members listed on the UNPO Nations & People page, the organizations that currently represent them, and the dates on which they joined the UNPO ^[4] (original members listed with blue background):

Member	Date Joined	Represented by	Continent
Abkhazia	01991-08-06 6 August 1991	Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia	Europe
Aboriginals of Australia	01991-02-11 11 February 1991	National Committee to Defend Black Rights	Oceania & Australasia
Afrikaner	02008-05-15 15 May 2008	Freedom Front Plus	Africa
Ahwazi	02003-11-14 14 November 2003	Democratic Solidarity Party of Ahwaz	Asia
Assyria	01991-08-06 6 August 1991	Assyrian Universal Alliance	Asia
Balochistan	02008-03-01 1 March 2008	Balochistan National Party	Asia
Batwa	01993-01-17 17 January 1993	Community of Indigenous Peoples of Rwanda	Africa
Burma (democratic movement)	02008-05-15 15 May 2008	National Council of the Union of Burma	Asia
Buryatia	01996-02-03 3 February 1996	All-Buryat Association for the Development of Culture	Asia
Cabinda	01997-04-17 17 April 1997	Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda/Forças Armadas de Cabinda	Africa
Chechen Republic of Ichkeria	01991-08-06 6 August 1991	Government in Exile of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria	Europe
Chin	02001-07-15 15 July 2001	Chin National Front	Asia
Chittagong Hill Tracts	01991-08-06 6 August 1991	(not specified)	Asia
Circassia	01994-04-16 16 April 1994	International Circassian Association	Europe
Cordillera	01991-02-11 11 February 1991	Cordillera Peoples' Alliance	Asia
Crimean Tatars	01991-02-11 11 February 1991	Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People	Europe
East Turkestan	01991-02-11 11 February 1991	World Uyghur Congress	Asia
Gilgit Baltistan	02008-09-20 20 September 2008	Gilgit-Baltistan Democratic Alliance	Asia
Greek Minority in Albania	01991-02-11 11 February 1991	Democratic Union of the Greek Ethnic Minority in Albania	Europe
Hmong	02007-02-02 2 February 2007	Hmong ChaoFa Federated State	Asia
Hungarian Minority in Romania	01994-07-30 30 July 1994	Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania	Europe
Inkeri	01993-01-17 17 January 1993	Inkerin Liitto	Europe
Inner Mongolia	02007-02-02 2 February 2007	Inner Mongolian People's Party	Asia
Iranian Kurdistan	02007-02-02 2 February 2007	Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran	Asia
Iraqi Kurdistan	01991-02-11 11 February 1991	Kurdistan Democratic Party and by the the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan	Asia
Iraqi Turkmen	01991-08-06 6 August 1991	Dr. Muzaffer Arslan	Asia
Kalahui Hawai'i	01993-08-03 3 August 1993	Ka Lahui Hawaii	Oceania & Australasia
Karenni State	01993-01-19 19 January 1993	Karenni National Progressive Party	Asia
Khmer Krom	02001-07-15 15 July 2001	Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation	Asia
Kosovo	01991-08-06 6 August 1991	Democratic League of Kosova	Europe
Maasai	02004-12-19 19 December 2004	Maasai Women for Education and Economic Development, with the backing of the Mainyoito Pastoralist Integrated Development Organisation and the Kitengela Ilparakuo Land Owners Association	Africa
Mapuche	01993-01-19 19 January 1993	Mapuche Inter-Regional Council	Americas
Mon	01996-02-03 3 February 1996	Mon Unity League	Asia
Montagnards	02003-11-14 14 November 2003	Montagnard Foundation Inc.	Asia
Nagalim	01993-01-19 19 January 1993	National Socialist Council of Nagaland	Asia
Ogoni	01993-01-19 19 January 1993	Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People	Africa
Oromo	02004-12-19 19 December 2004	Oromo Liberation Front	Africa
Rehoboth Basters	02007-02-02 2 February 2007	Captains Council	Africa
Sanjak Bosniaks	01993-01-17 17 January 1993	Muslim National Council of Sanjak	Europe
Scania	01993-01-19 19 January 1993	Stiftelsen Skånsk Framtid	Europe
Shan	01997-04-17 17 April 1997	Shan States Organization	Asia
Sindh	02002-01-19 19 January 2002	World Sindhi Institute	Asia
Somaliland	02004-12-19 19 December 2004	Government of Somaliland	Africa
South Moluccas	01991-08-06 6 August 1991	Government in Exile of the Republic of South Moluccas	Asia
Southern Azerbaijan	02007-02-02 2 February 2007	Southern Azerbaijan National Awakening Movement	Asia
Southern Cameroons	02004-12-19 19 December 2004	Southern Cameroons National Council	Africa
Taiwan	01991-02-11 11 February 1991	Taiwan Foundation for Democracy	Asia
Tibet	01991-02-11 11 February 1991	Government of Tibet in Exile	Asia
Tsimshian	02007-02-02 2 February 2007	Tsimshian Nation Gitlaxyuup-m and Smgigyet Society	Americas
Tuva	01996-02-03 3 February 1996	(not specified)	Asia
Udmurt	01993-01-17 17 January 1993	Udmurt Council (Udmurt Kenesh)	Europe
Vhavenda	02003-11-14 14 November 2003	Dabalorivhuwa Patriotic Front	Africa
West Balochistan	02005-06-26 26 June 2005	Balochistan People's Party	Asia
Zanzibar	01991-08-06 6 August 1991	Zanzibar Democratic Alternative , in cooperation with the Civic United Front	Africa

Former members

The following former members of the UNPO have since gained United Nations (UN) recognition:

• Four former republics of the Soviet Union:
  • Two Baltic republics:
    •  Estonia – (founding member);withdrew on 17 September 1991;independence restored in 1991
    •  Latvia – (founding member);withdrew on 17 September 1991;independence restored in 1991
  • Two Transcaucasian republics:
    •  Armenia – (founding member); withdrew on 2 March 1992; independence restored in 1991
    •  Georgia – (founding member); withdrew on 31 July 1992; independence restored in 1991
• Others:
  •  Timor-Leste – Joined 17 January 1993; withdrew 27 September 2002; former Portuguese colony annexed by Indonesia in 1975 and independent since 2002
  •  Palau – (founding member); withdrew on 15 December 1994; formerly part of the US–administered Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and independent since 1994
• Non–UN Members:
  • Other former members of the UNPO.^[5]
    • Aceh – Joined 6 August 1991; membership discontinued 1 March 2008; reached autonomy agreement with Indonesia in 2005
    • Albanians in Macedonia – Joined 16 April 1994; membership discontinued 1 Mar 2008; reached agreement on wider rights with Macedonia in 2001
    • Bashkortostan – Joined 3 February 1996; withdrew 30 Jun 1998
    • Bougainville – Joined 6 August 1991; membership discontinued 1 March 2008; reached autonomy agreement with Papua New Guinea in 2000
    • Buffalo River Dene Nation – Joined 19 December 2004; membership suspended 9 October 2009
    • Chuvash – Joined 17 January 1993; membership discontinued 1 March 2008
    • Gagauzia – Joined 16 April 1994; membership discontinued 1 Dec 2007; reached autonomy agreement with Moldova in 1994
    • Ingushetia – Joined 30 July 1994; membership discontinued 1 Mar 2008
    • Komi – Joined 17 January 1993; membership suspended 9 October 2009
    • Kumyk – Joined 17 April 1997; membership discontinued 1 Mar 2008
    • Khalistan – Joined 24 January 1993; discontinued 4 Aug 1993, suspension made permanent 22 Jan 1995
    • Lakotah Nation – Joined 30 July 1994; membership discontinued 1 Dec 2007, followed by the declaration of the Republic of Lakotah
    • Maohi – Joined 30 July 1994; membership discontinued 1 Dec 2007
    • Mari – Joined 6 August 1991; membership suspended 9 October 2009
    • Nahua Del Alto Balsas – Joined 19 December 2004; membership suspended 20 Sep 2008
    • Nuxalk – Joined 23 September 1998; membership discontinued 1 Mar 2008
    • Rusyn – Joined 23 September 1998; membership discontinued 1 Dec 2007
    • Sakha – Joined 3 August 1993; withdrew 30 Jun 1998
    • Talysh – Joined 26 June 2005; membership discontinued 1 Mar 2008
    • Tatarstan (founding member); membership discontinued 1 March 2008
    • West Papua (founding member); membership suspended 20 September 2008

General Secretaries

• Michael van Walt van Praag 1991–1997
• Tsering Jampa 1997–1998
• Helen S. Corbett 1998–1999
• Erkin Alptekin 1999–2003
• Marino Busdachin 2003–present^[6]
  • Karl Habsburg-Lothringen – Since 19 January 2002, the Director General of the Organization

Criticism

Valery Tishkov, the Director of the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology at the Russian Academy of Sciences and former Russian Minister for nationalities, criticized the UNPO by stating:

The UNPO's activities in The Hague took a different track when the flags of separatist regimes and organizations that emerged after the collapse of the USSR and Yugoslavia were hoisted above its headquarters. In the context of new geopolitical rivalries and western euphoria about rebuilding the post-communist world, "unrepresentedness" came to be seen as a breach of order rather than an improvement, as a process of exiting the system rather than finding one's voice within it.^[3]

See also

• Assyrian independence
• Buryat
• Circassians
• Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
• Federal Union of European Nationalities
• Government of Tibet in Exile
• Mari El
• Micronations
• Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People
• Politics of Khuzestan
• Tibetan people
• United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories
• Universal Declaration of the Rights of Peoples
• Afrikaners

References

External links

• UNPO Website
• UNPO Covenant
• UNPO Universal Declaration of the Rights of Peoples
• UNPO brochure
• Institute of the Rights of Peoples, UNPO Tartu Coordination Office, (Eastern Europe and Northern Asia)
• Fourth World: Nations Without a State, Nadesan Satyendra
• Political Resources list of Unrepresented Nations & Peoples Organisations