The Universal Declaration of the Rights of Peoples and the Work Ahead –
The Institute of the Rights of Peoples (IRP) and UNPO convened a workshop in September 2025 at the University of Tartu in Estonia to revive the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Peoples (UDRP). According to the organizations, the event aimed to restore the 2001 text to the center of international conversation after it receded from institutional memory for 15 years.
Why was the UDRP recovered from archives?
The UDRP was drafted between 1998 and 1999 through UNPO’s Tartu Coordination Office and adopted at the Sixth General Assembly in Tallinn in 2001, according to the IRP. Dr. Linnart Mäll, the founder of the IRP and UNPO’s first Chairman, served as the architect of the text.
The Declaration faded from institutional memory following Mäll’s death in 2010. To recover the founding text, organizers had to perform archival work within Mäll’s personal papers.
How does the Declaration apply to current global issues?
The IRP and UNPO state that peoples, not just states, must be subjects of international law. This conviction is described by the organizations as a pressing necessity rather than a historical curiosity.
The organizations point to the systematic weaponization of self-determination by authoritarian actors as a primary concern. They also cite climate displacement and resource extraction as factors that make questions of land, identity, and survival existential for communities worldwide.
What happens next for the UDRP?
The September workshop brought together original drafters, researchers, and practitioners to analyze the Declaration’s intellectual depth and current relevance. This gathering was a first step toward making the text useful in today’s geopolitical climate.
Future efforts may focus on operationalizing the UDRP’s principles. A full account of the workshop’s findings and the challenges of applying the text is now available at the UNPO Academy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Peoples (UDRP)?
It is a framework for peoples’ rights drafted in 1998–1999 and adopted at UNPO’s Sixth General Assembly in 2001.
Who was the primary architect of the UDRP?
The Declaration was authored by Dr. Linnart Mäll, who was the founder of the IRP and the first Chairman of UNPO.
Where did the September 2025 workshop take place?
The workshop was held at the University of Tartu in Estonia.
Do you believe international law should recognize peoples as subjects alongside states?