Jan 10, 1991

Application procedure


Articles 5 to 9 of the UNPO Covenant set forth the provisions/rules governing Participation.

Participation is open to all Nations and Peoples who are not adequately represented at the UN and whose representative body, as defined in Article 6 of this title fulfils all requirements set out in this title.

Prospective participants have to:
1) Believe in the equality of all Nations and Peoples and the inalienable right to self-
determination.
2) Adhere to internationally accepted human rights standards.
3) Adhere to the principle of democratic pluralism and reject totalitarism or any form of religious intolerance.
4) Reject terrorism as a form of policy.
5) Have respect for all Peoples and population groups, including minority and majority populations within territories inhabited by the participant but belonging to different ethnic, religious or linguistic groups.

The prospective participant has to be a Nation or People, possessing the will to be identified as a Nation or People and is bound to a common heritage which can be historical, racial, ethnic, religious or territorial.

The prospective participant can also be a section of a People, constituting a minority, living on a portion of its ancestral territory, incorporated into a State other than a State represented by that People.

The keywords are:
People: According to the internationally accepted definition of a People.
Minority: Section of a people living on a part of its ancestral territory.
Ancestral territory: In principle, a territory is ancestral when it is inhabited by a People for 500 years or longer.


Steps in the application process:
After the prospective participant has filled in the application form, the next step will be for the International Secretariat of the UNPO to start collecting information on the applicant from third parties and investigate the claims made by the applicant.
This research is written down in a report.
This report will be presented to the Steering Committee, that will decide on whether or not to give a positive recommendation for acceptance as a UNPO member to the General Assembly.
The General Assembly will formally decide on acceptance of the applicant as a new UNPO member.

Download here the application form