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On 11 February, 1991, leaders and representatives of non-violent freedom movements from around the world came together at the seat of international law, the Peace Palace in The Hague, with a revolutionary idea. Representing occupied nations, indigenous peoples, minorities and other vulnerable or disenfranchised populations, their aim was to create an international forum where unrepresented nations and peoples could air their legitimate grievances. The result was the establishment of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO).

Two decades later, on 11 February 2011, UNPO will mark the anniversary of this historic meeting with a series of commemorative events in The Hague, including a photo exhibition and an international conference at the Peace Palace. During this commemorative weekend UNPO plans to examine the organization’s experiences over the past two decades and draw lessons which can be applied to UNPO’s future challenges.

UNPO Members have celebrated a number of successes over the past 20 years. Six UNPO Members (Armenia, Belau, East Timor, Estonia, Georgia and Latvia) have achieved full independence and are now official Members of the United Nations. Other UNPO Members have also made important steps towards self-determination. Since its declaration of independence in 2008, UNPO Member Kosova has received official recognition from 74 UN Member states. UNPO Member Somaliland’s success in building a system of relatively stable democratic governance in a decidedly unstable region continues to gain international recognition and respect. Zanzibar formed a peaceful coalition government last year.

In stark contrast to these success stories, many UNPO Members have gained little reprieve from the conditions of repression and discrimination which led them to join the organization. UNPO Members throughout the world continue to endure discrimination, repression and violence at the hands of both undemocratic regimes and unwelcoming societies.

Recent events such as the referendum in South Sudan have called global attention to issues of autonomy and self-determination. While UNPO applauded what it saw as a positive development: the relatively peaceful exercise of a people’s right to self-determination, leaders throughout Africa expressed fear at what it saw as a threatening precedent: an event which may add fuel to secessionist movements in their own states.

The coming years present a daunting array of new challenges for the organization and its Members. Climate change, population growth and the continued effects of the global economic crisis have affected UNPO Members more acutely than much of the world. The effects of global climate change and population growth are expected to drastically increase conflict over the control and distribution of increasingly scarce resources, particularly among groups that are denied access to political and judicial institutions. The effects of the global financial crisis are likewise felt most strongly among the economically vulnerable.

With these challenges and the organization’s past experiences in mind, UNPO will convene a conference at the Peace Palace on 11 February 2011. Panelists at the conference will review a number of these successes and failures in order to draw lessons from UNPO’s past work. The conference will also explore the concepts of autonomy and self-determination, particularly how the common understanding of these terms has evolved and changed over the past decades. UNPO Members, including Seif Sharif Hamad, first Vice President of Zanzibar and Maxim Gundjia, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia, will present their experiences of these concepts. 

In a continuation of UNPO’s efforts to shed light on the lives of its Members, the UNPO anniversary celebration will also include a photo exhibition entitled “Unhidden Faces” at the Atrium in the City Hall of The Hague. The exhibition will showcase the diverse ethnicities, cultures and religions of UNPO Members, many of whom remain unrecognized or unknown in the world. Ms. Marjolein de Jong, Vice Mayor of The Hague, will open the exhibit at 5pm on 11 February with a welcoming address.

Friday, 11 February 2011

Conference: “Tracing the Past to Look Forward”

Location:         Peace Palace, The Hague

Time:              8:30 am (Registration & Security Check)

                      9:00 am until 1:30 pm (Conference)

Session I:        Reflections on 20 Years of UNPO

Session II:       Autonomy and the Right to Self-Determination

UNPO Photo Exhibition: “Unhidden Faces”

Location:         The Atrium, The Hague City Hall

Time:              5:00 pm

Opening:         Prayer chant led by Khmer Krom Buddhist Monks, followed a welcoming address by Ms. Marjolein de Jong, Vice Mayor of The Hague

Duration:         11 February 2011 – 2 March 2011

PLEASE NOTE: Registration is required prior to attendance at the Peace Palace Conference. However, the photo exhibition is free and open to the public, and will remain in place until 2 March 2011.

The UNPO 20th Anniversary Commemorative Publication, Provisional Programme of the Conference Tracing the Past to Look Forward and Press Releases can be found in the top right corner on this webpage.

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Any questions, press inquires or comments can be directed to Ms. Caroline de Bruin, through e-mail cdebruin[at]unpo.org or by telephone +31 070 36 46504

UNPO is a not-for-profit organization and relies on membership fees, grants and donations, which help the organization sustain its work and activities. This includes the events to celebrate UNPO’s 20th Anniversary throughout 2011. Celebrate with us and click here to make a donation.