The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) is pleased to share a recent interview with its Secretary General, Mercè Monje Cano, conducted by CIVICUS, a global alliance of civil society organisations and activists dedicated to strengthening citizen action and civic space worldwide. Published on the CIVICUS Lens platform, the interview highlights the universal right to self-determination and the challenges faced by unrepresented peoples today. The full text of the interview, originally published by CIVICUS, is reproduced below with credit to the CIVICUS Lens platform. The original publication, first published on August 19th 2025, can be accessed here.
‘Peoples have a right to self-determination, whether they are part of an internationally recognised state or not’
CIVICUS speaks with Mercè Monje Cano, Secretary General of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), about the struggles of unrepresented peoples seeking self-determination and how UNPO supports them in asserting their rights.
A membership organisation founded in 1991, UNPO represents over 40 nations, peoples and minorities excluded from diplomatic and political arenas. The organisation works to advance their right to self-determination and ensure meaningful participation in decisions that affect them. Its programmes focus on empowering women and young people, preserving cultural identities and promoting environmental justice. By linking unrepresented communities with global institutions, UNPO seeks to amplify their voices and challenge the structural barriers they face.
What drove UNPO’s founding and what’s changed recently?
Representatives from Estonia, East Turkestan and Tibet conceived of UNPO as a parallel, more inclusive version of the United Nations, which only allows states – not peoples or nations – to participate. 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.
Almost 35 years later, the world has changed dramatically. We are witnessing a rise in authoritarianism, widening inequality, climate-driven displacement, shrinking civic space and escalating geopolitical tensions. Repression has become more sophisticated and brutal. Many authoritarian governments have extended their reach beyond borders to attack, harass, intimidate and surveil communities. As a result, unrepresented peoples are often unsafe in their homelands and in exile, making UNPO’s mission more urgent than ever.
As the challenges have evolved, strategies that worked years ago have become less effective. As with many other organisations, UNPO needs to adapt. Since 2023, it has undertaken internal and programmatic reforms to adjust to this shifting geopolitical landscape and strengthen its role as a united platform for unrepresented nations and peoples worldwide.
Who are unrepresented peoples and what challenges do they face?
We consider unrepresented nations or peoples to be groups that see themselves as a distinct collective that shares a common destiny and heritage – whether cultural, ethnic, historical, linguistic, racial, religious, or territorial. They are unrepresented because their right to self-determination is denied and they are excluded from decision-making at national, regional and international levels.
This exclusion is often driven by economic and geopolitical interests, as well as systemic and historical discrimination. Human rights violations frequently follow, particularly in territories with natural resources or strategic importance. While each nation’s experience is unique, we see recurring patterns across our membership: ethnic persecution, forced assimilation, land grabbing and suppression of language and culture. Rather than isolated problems, these are interconnected crises that collectively threaten the survival of unrepresented nations and peoples worldwide.
How does UNPO support self-determination?
Self-determination was a foundational human rights principle but is now under pressure. Over recent decades, it has been undermined, challenged and, in some cases, distorted. Many traditional spaces that defended these rights have lost influence, and legitimate claims are being brutally suppressed, as in Iranian minority regions, Palestine, Tibet, West Papua and many other contexts. Suppression is often justified as a way of protecting territorial integrity, although many so-called ‘legitimate’ borders are simply colonial legacies.
Peoples have a right to self-determination, whether they are part of an internationally recognised state or not. However, it’s too often reduced to a synonym for secession, so those advocating for this right tend to be dismissed or marginalised.
UNPO understands self-determination as a right of process, not a predetermined outcome. It can take many forms, including cultural security, economic self-reliance, land rights, meaningful participation in decision-making, self-governance and spiritual freedom. Above all, it’s the right of peoples to choose their own destiny and shape their economic, political and social development. For this reason, UNPO doesn’t take positions for or against independence, but defends peoples’ right to decide their future peacefully and democratically. By challenging the misconception that self-determination is inherently destabilising, we reclaim it as an essential tool for peace.
What actions can protect endangered communities?
While diplomatic statements are important, they are not enough. We need to move beyond denunciations towards more practical, bolder strategies, because impunity is allowing governments and leaders to deny crimes or manipulate narratives at will.
The first step is to strengthen unrepresented communities so they can withstand and counter repression. At UNPO, we provide targeted training, advocacy workshops and peer-to-peer exchanges to equip member communities with skills in conflict management, multilateral diplomacy and non-violent strategies.
It is equally crucial to make the realities of unrepresented peoples visible. Sharing strategies, pooling resources and coordinating advocacy with others facing similar threats amplifies silenced voices and makes their situations harder to ignore. Cross-regional projects, evidence-based reports and policy research are central to this work.
Ultimately, we need a system where peoples – not just states – play a central role. Through the newly established UNPO Academy, we draw on communities’ expertise, exchange knowledge and build alliances to rethink existing international rights structures. Working together breaks down silos, turning solidarity into coordinated action and advocacy into tangible tools for change.
How can international forums become genuinely inclusive?
Decision-making at national and international levels prioritises the interests of those with political influence. To counter this imbalance and make forums more inclusive, we need to rethink representation, power-sharing structures and participatory processes. Diplomacy must be understood as a right accessible to all peoples, rather than a state privilege. We need new platforms for dialogue that empower peoples and communities.
Positive examples exist. Taiwan engages minority communities and has integrated their perspectives and needs as part of its democratic transition. The Central Tibetan Administration also includes religious minorities in governance.
Smaller states such as Estonia, Latvia, Palau and several Pacific Island nations show that countries built on self-determination can achieve effective governance and stability. Working together has allowed them to amplify their influence internationally, despite their small individual size. By cooperating and forming alliances, they’ve been able to overcome traditional power imbalances, protect the rights of their peoples and tackle shared challenges such as climate change.
