The UNPO was conceived by representatives from Estonia, East Turkestan and Tibet as a parallel, more inclusive version of the United Nations, which only allows states – not peoples or nations – to participate. As such it is not part of the UN. Founded in 1991 at the Peace Palace in The Hague, UNPO was established by and for those excluded from, or repressed by, international and national decision-making processes. Since then, it has amplified silenced voices, built solidarity between communities and defended the right to self-determination as a foundation for peace, justice and inclusive governance. 

A Nation or People is a group that identifies as such, shares a common destiny, and is bound by a shared heritage, whether historical, racial, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, religious, or territorial. This definition also includes minorities living on part of their ancestral territory that has been incorporated into another state. They are unrepresented because their right to self-determination is denied, excluding them from decision-making at national, regional and international levels.

This denial of basic rights, often driven by economic and geopolitical interests or systemic discrimination, leads to human rights violations. Members are frequently targeted for their natural resources or strategic location. Common issues include exclusion from decision-making, land grabbing, forced assimilation, language threats, and ethnic persecution, all interconnected crises threatening unrepresented nations and peoples globally.

For the UNPO, self-determination is understood as the right of peoples to determine their own destiny and to have a voice in the form of their economic, cultural and social development, including their political status. Self-determination is a foundational human rights principle but is now under pressure. Many traditional spaces that defended these rights have lost influence, and legitimate claims are being brutally suppressed. 

At a time of global uncertainty, UNPO urges the international community to uphold self-determination as a universal right, exercised peacefully and democratically, and to engage with political realities in a principled and consistent manner. Respect for this right is essential to preventing conflict, strengthening resilience, and securing long-term peace. UNPO affirms that the right to self-determination is neither selective nor conditional. 

All peoples and nations are entitled to recognition and to a safe and enabling environment in which they can freely determine their political status and pursue their economic, social, and cultural development without coercion or exclusion. UNPO continues to stand for the respect of human rights, the rule of law, and the peaceful exercise of the right to self-determination. The organization remains in opposition to violations of international humanitarian and human rights law worldwide and continues to advocate for the protection of civilians, accountability, and dignity for all peoples.

UNPO understands self-determination as a right of process rather than a predetermined outcome, emphasising peoples’ fundamental right to choose. Self-determination doesn’t automatically grant independent statehood, but the right to pursue it through non-violent, lawful means is protected under international human rights law. This process can lead to various outcomes for different peoples and nations, such as independence but also other forms of cultural security, self-governance, economic autonomy, and environmental stewardship. For this reason, UNPO does not advocate for or against independence but rather supports the right of peoples to determine their own civil, political, social, cultural or futures through peaceful and democratic means, that align with the organisation’s core values: equality, pluralism, non-violence, human rights, and environmental protection.

By challenging the common misconception that self-determination is destabilising, UNPO reframes it as an essential tool for sustainable peace. Whatever the outcome, universal respect for diversity, commitment to non-violent resistance, and inter-ethnic tolerance remain at UNPO’s core and the foundation for lasting stability and peaceful coexistence.

In a moment where organisations, states and policy makers are struggling to reform and rethink a new world order, in the face of intensifying threats to the rights, identities and existence of nations and peoples worldwide, UNPO works to support nations in establishing systems of governance that allow peoples to be heard and represented.

In today’s geopolitical landscape, UNPO’s work demonstrates that centering the rights of peoples is integral to achieving sustainable and lasting peace. By recognising and empowering unrepresented communities, promoting non-violent advocacy, and fostering inclusive dialogue, UNPO and its members are advancing a vision of international solidarity and cooperation grounded in self-determination, cultural preservation, and democratic participation. As international institutions, including the UN, increasingly fail to fulfil basic principles of human rights, the need for inclusive and participatory processes is more apparent than ever, illustrating the need to build a more sustainable, inclusive and peaceful world, one that is capable of respecting the fundamental human rights of all peoples. 

UNPO is the only membership organisation, constituted by the peoples and nations themselves, protecting their equal participation and representation in all decisions that affect them. The UNPO works together with its members and allies to build a new global system that is truly democratic, inclusive and pluralistic, and where the collective and individual rights of all peoples are respected and represented.