Dear UNPO Members and friends,

During the month of May, UNPO commemorated to several grievous events in the history of some of its Members, including Circassia, the Crimean Tatars and the Baloch, bringing attention to the importance of remembering traumatic events in the process of creating durable political futures.

On 5 May, UNPO in cooperation with the National Talysh Movement, convened a high-level conference at the European Parliament entitled 'Double Standards and Crackdown on Minority Rights in Azerbaijan'. At a time when economic cooperation between the European Union and Azerbaijan has seen much progress, the conference sought to bring attention to the importance of respecting and promoting human rights, including minority rights, in this context.

Ahead of the 24 May parliamentary election in Ethiopia, on 20 May, during their monthly plenary session in Strasbourg, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) discussed the situation in the country known for its speedy economic development, but appalling human rights records. UNPO closely monitored the debate and was pleased to note that there is growing interest in and knowledge of the situation in the Ogaden region, at the European level.

Last but not least, UNPO launched a crowdfunding campaign entitled ‘’My Goat, My Hope’’ with the aim of raising funds for a women-oriented project targeting the marginalised Batwa community in Rwanda.

For more details and information about our past and upcoming events, please download the newsletter here.