Join UNPO as Peoples’ Friends – A New Form of Global Alliance

The rights of peoples, both UNPO members and communities around the world, are facing growing threats. Rising authoritarianism, securitization, economic exploitation, and resource-driven conflicts increasingly undermine communities’ ability to shape their own futures. Centralized global power structures continue to marginalize voices and restrict meaningful participation at both national and international levels.

In this shifting geopolitical landscape, there is an urgent need for strategic partnerships and inclusive solutions, ones that place peoples and communities at the center of decision-making.

Within this framework, the Peoples’ Friends initiative offers a formal, invitation-based opportunity for aligned communities, organizations, and movements to engage with the UNPO’s mission. While Peoples’ Friends do not have voting rights or full access to all internal resources, they are welcomed into meaningful collaboration through advocacy campaigns, shared dialogue, and international visibility.

Peoples’ Friends: A Collective Platform for Transformation

In a time of fragmentation and rising inequality, UNPO members and the Secretariat acknowledge that no community should have to stand alone. The Peoples’ Friends initiative aims to create space for communities aligned with UNPO’s principles to join a growing, global community of solidarity and transformation.

When invited to join as a Peoples’ Friend, your People or Nation becomes part of a dynamic alliance committed to:

Strategic Solidarity: Work alongside UNPO members to co-create responses to shared global challenges. In today’s fragmented world, cross-regional solidarity is essential to defending self-determination, democracy, and dignity.

Shared Voice, Shared Power: Join a global effort to ensure that unrepresented communities are not only visible, but influential. Through UNPO’s platforms, events, and publications, People’s perspectives are amplified to reach civil society allies, policymakers, and global institutions. People’s Friends may participate under invitation, in advocacy campaigns, contribute to reports, and help shape international dialogues on peace, justice, and rights.

Shaping the Future, Together: This initiative is rooted in co-creation. As a Peoples’ Friend, your organisation or community representatives are invited to play an active role in building campaigns, forming alliances, and advancing a collective vision. Jointly with the UNPO members and secretariat, your community becomes part of shaping the future of global governance from the ground up.

If your community, organization, or initiative shares this vision, we invite you to explore the opportunity of joining as a Peoples’ Friend (See below).

What is UNPO People´s Friends?

Peoples’ Friends are part of UNPO’s broader network of solidarity and collaboration. A Peoples’ Friend refers to communities or organisations that adhere to the UNPO principles, thus benefiting from visibility, shared campaigns and participation in dialogue. The communities that may be invited to join this initiative include:

• Communities who have already achieved their desired levels of self-determination but wish to support other Peoples and Nations. This might include former UNPO members.
• Groups that can not claim to be “representative” of their People’s voice but work for the rights of their community
• Communities that cannot afford the full UNPO membership fee
• Those who are exploring initial collaboration with potential for full membership in the future eligibility is based on alignment with UNPO values, not financial or political status.
  

There is no fee to join as a Peoples’ Friend. However, and particularly in view of the organisation’s financial constraints, contributions are welcome and appreciated. These donations help sustain collective efforts and demonstrate shared commitment.

People’s Friend, is an invitation process extended by the UNPO Secretary General after consultation with the UNPO Presidency members. However, you can share your interest by writing to [email protected] and fulfilling the People’s Friend form.

For more information and next steps please visit our website here: www.unpo.org

For full flyer download here: Join UNPO as Peoples’ Friends- A New Form of Global Alliance

We look forward to learning more about your community and working together to advance dignity, representation, and the right to self-determination.

Join the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO) and amplify your community’s impact on the global stage. As a member, you’ll connect with a network of like-minded communities, gain access to invaluable resources, and participate in international forums advocating for human rights and self-determination.

Established in 1991, the UNPO currently advocates for the rights fo over 40 unrepresented and marginalized peoples around the world, promoting self-determination, human rights, and non-violence. The UNPO is unique in its approach as it is the only international membership-based organisation directly representing the interests of minority and unrepresented peoples and nations.

A key aspect of UNPO’s work is to defend the right to self-determination. For the UNPO, self-determination is understood as the right to determine their own destiny, in particular, to choose their own political status and to determine their own form of economic, cultural and social development. For the UNPO, the importance of this right lies in the right of choice, with this choice potentially leading to different outcomes for each community.

The peoples represented within the UNPO membership stand united through one shared condition: they are denied equal representation in the institutions of regional, national, or international governance. Therefore, they are unable to fully realize their human rights and are subjected to discrimination and oppression.

What We Offer

• The joining of a unique international community, forged through solidarity.
  The UNPO is a global network propelled by the unity and mutual support between its members; a global network collectively striving for recognition, equality, and justice. In additino to unlocking access to this network, the UNPO holds bi-annual member meetings to fotster inter-member knowledge sharing, networking, and alliance-building opportunities.
• A platform from which marginalized and unrepresented voices can raise international awareness. 
  Through joining a recognized global network, UNPO members have the capacity to raise international awareness and recognition of their community, bolstered by the support of its other members. The campaigns of members are platformed through the UNPO’s website, member profiles, periodic newsletters, and news articles.
• An environment in which communities can strengthen their ability to advocate.
  The UNPO provides a unique opportunity for communities to learn from, and advocate with, other nations, and peoples who are striving for the same goals and facing the same barriers. In addition, members have access to capacity building and training sessions, from one to three times a year dependent on the capacity of the secretariat, covering diverse topics. 

Membership Criteria

Membership is open to communities who subscribe to the following principles as set out in the UNPO Covenant:

• The equal right of all peoples to self-determination;
• Adherence to internationally-accepted human rights standards;
• Adherence to the principles of democratic pluralism and rejection of intolerance;
• Promotion of non-violence and the rejection of terrorism and violence as instruments of policy;
• Promotion of gender equality;
• Protection of the natural environment. 

If your community aligns with these principles, apply to UNPO and become part of a prominent movement for justice and equality. With and annual membership fee of €3’000, UNPO invites non-violente communities lacking adequate representation to join our passionate global network. Empower your voice and advocate for your rights on an international stage. 

How to Apply

To apply please follow these steps:

1. Complete the UNPO Initial Inquiry Form with as much details as possible.*

2. Send it to [email protected] and CC [email protected] clearly specifying the contact of at least 2 representatives.

*Due to the amount of applications received, please note that we will not consider incomplete forms or emails not referring to the ifnormation requested.

3. The secretariat will inform you within a month of the reception of the form whether your application for membrship is under consideration. 

What is Next?

4. If the response is positive, the secretariat will send an additional more detailed form and a list of documents to be provided. Additionally, a request for the payment of non-refundable 1’000 EUR will be requested. This fee will cover the cost of the secretariat to conduct in-depth research on the nation, representativity of the organization applying and the fulfillment of the criteria described in the organisation’s Covenant. A first interview between the applicants and the secretariat will also be conducted.

5. The information compiled will be gathered in a report that will be presented to the 11 members of the UNPO Presidency in a Presidency meeting. An interview between the Presidency members and the applicants will then be conducted. The full process is expected to take between 6 to 12 months depending on the amount of applications received.

6. The applicant will be notified within the next month of their acceptance or not in the organisation. 

7. If the applicant is accepted, the formal acceptance will take place at the following General Assembly, with approval form the rest of the UNPO membership. 

By joining the UNPO, your community will gain a powerful platform to amplify its voice, advocate for its rights, and connect with other unrepresented peoples striving for justice and recognition.

Information about our former members will be available soon!