The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) is a non-governmental international organization founded in 1991 to advocate for marginalized communities and work on human rights and democracy. It has 44 member states. UNPO works to promote understanding and respect for the right to self-determination and provides advice and support on international recognition and political independence questions.
UNPO elects Dr. Edna Adan Ismail from Somaliland as President, the first woman, and the first Somaliland citizen to hold this position. Dr. Edna is one of Somaliland’s most prominent public figures and is a pioneer in the struggle to end female genital mutilation. She is a nurse-midwife, advocate of Somaliland’s independence, and Somaliland’s 1st female Foreign Minister. Dr. Edna is the director and founder of the Edna Adan Maternity Hospital in Hargeisa to improve the health of Somali citizens. Her desires align with UNPO’s aims of empowering unrepresented & marginalized peoples’ voices worldwide.
The people represented in the UNPO membership are all joined with one common circumstance; they are denied fair representation in national or international governance institutions. This has inhibited their opportunity to participate on the national or global platform, and they have difficulty recognizing their rights to civil and political participation. They are also restrained from controlling their economic, social and cultural development. In many cases, they are subject to the worst forms of violence and repression. UNPO has several campaigns it’s currently working on, such as “Reimagining Self-Determination,” “Compromised Spaces,” and “Complicit in Repression,” to tackle these challenges.
