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05/13/2006: "UNPO at Launch of Parliamentarians for National Self-Determination"

12-05-2006
UNPO at Launch of Parliamentarians for National Self-Determination
On 11 May 2006 parliamentarians and national representatives from Westminster, Europe and Asia met in the Houses of Parliament for the launch of Parliamentarians for National Self-Determination (PNSD), with the right to self-determination being the central theme and common denominator.
The Conference was chaired by Lord Nazir Ahmed who spoke on South Asia Independence Movements and emphasised how nationalist movements are bound together by shared challenges and objectives, with the right to self-determination being the internationally recognised means to attain their respective goals. As chair of PNSD Lord Ahmed emphasised that the pursuit of self-determination must be achieved through peaceful measures and that non-violent means must fundamentally inform the debate and struggle for the right to self-determination. UNPO General Secretary, Marino Busdachin, highlighted in his speech how a novel approach to the concept of self-determination is needed, to depart from the ‘trap of self-determination’ and transform the understanding of the concept. Mr. Busdachin underlined that self-determination, rather than being perceived as the cause for conflict, must be seen as a tool for the effective prevention and resolution of conflict. He called for a renewed discourse and appealed to parliamentarians, representatives and activists alike to rethink both strategies and actions, in order to re-launch a strengthened, legitimate and more effective quest for self-determination and the resolution of long-standing conflicts. (Full transcript of speech is included below)

Other participants and speakers attending and invited to the conference included: Lord Judd; Lord Rea; Rt. Hon Elfyn Llwyd (MP, Leader Plaid Cymru); Simon Hughes (MP, Chairman Liberal Democrats); Kashmir Singh (LLB LLM General Secretary British Sikh Federation); Khalid Mahmood (MP, Labour); Douglas Carswell (MP, Conservatives); Daniel Hannon (Member of the European Parliament, Conservatives); Rh. Raising (Minister, Secretary of Steering Committee of Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN)); Pete Wishart (MP, SNP Group Chief Whip); Frans Welman (Naga Support Centre); and several other prominent national representatives.


Speech by UNPO General Secretary, Marino Busdachin
11 May 2006, Houses of Parliament, London, UK


“Mr. President, Lord Ahmed,
Honourable MPs,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am glad to be here and grateful to have the opportunity to address you during today’s important meeting on behalf of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization. I convey to you the salutation of the 63 Members of UNPO, with different goals and aspirations, sharing one condition; not being represented, not having the right to express themselves, nor to enjoy their identity, - the unrepresented, the voiceless are hundreds of millions around the world and usually forgotten, outcast and oppressed.

My vote is that this conference, held by Parliamentarians for National Self-Determination and organised in partnership with UNPO, will strengthen and be able to give new breath to a battle for the affirmation of the right to self determination.

First of all, on behalf of UNPO, I would like to underline that at its core, self-determination means simply that human beings, individually and as groups, should be in control on their own destinies and that institutions of government should be devised accordingly. It is this idea that promoted the downfall of colonial structures and the abolition of apartheid and that today promotes democratic reform the world over.

Self-determination has its roots in and continues to be inseparably linked to the core concept of democracy, understood to mean the right to choose one’s rulers and to participate in decision-making. In this sense, the right to self-determination is a right of choice and a right of participation.

But, as history teaching, hardly any right recognized by law is absolute and even less enforced.

This is particularly and bitterly true for the right of Self-determination.

Many of the armed conflicts that have raged in the world during the last century, and the vast majority of those that have taken place since the end of the Cold War and continue today, centre around people’s drive to self-determination, whether explicitly stated as such or not.

For this reason, it is necessary to explore ways to transform the perception of self-determination; - away from being a contributing factor or even cause of conflict, and into being the notion of self-determination as a foundation and instrument for effective prevention and resolution of conflict.

In past decades, our world has witnessed a growth and welcoming commitment to democracy. We have seen a steady trend moving towards the establishment of democratic forms of government. Today, from Latin America to Africa, from Europe to Asia, democracy is a worldwide accepted and practiced principle.

I sincerely believe that democracy must be considered a fundamental human right and must form the backbone of the newly established UN body; the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

For peace, security and stability to exist, any associations between peoples and communities or between them and the state must be based on genuine and continuing consent, mutual respect and mutual benefit. Peace cannot exist in states that lack legitimacy or whose governments threaten the lives or wellbeing of a section of the population.

The international community, its members and institutions have an obligation to act where international law, including human rights and the right to self-determination, is violated.

Prevention of conflict requires proactive measures to persuade states to act in compliance with international legal standards towards their citizens, including distinct peoples and communities that exist within their borders, and to desist from actions, such as population transfer or forced assimilation, which impede the exercise of self-determination.

States must be made to realize that aspirations of peoples and communities cannot be ignored.

Many non-democratic states, alike many states with a low level of democracy, today, greatly fear that self-determination could become a new norm in international relations. These states fear that the doctrine of “humanitarian interventionism” would supplant the doctrine of state sovereignty.

Since 9/11, the international war against terrorism has firmly re-established state sovereignty as the predominant principle in international relations. Too many states have exploited the war against terrorism to justify its repression to many peoples and nations, and in order to soften criticism and protest of the International Community.

Self-determination could be a trap, - and was for a half of the last century.

We need to rethink our strategy, our actions.

Self-determination today, at a time of inter-dependency, should embody a broad concept which enlists solutions going from regional partial autonomy, full autonomy, association, to federalism, to independence.

In a time where states proceed to a different form of association it seems anachronistic acting for the right to self-determination. That it is not true. This is the moment and the occasion to re-launch the initiative.

I would like to suggest to prepare an international conference on this thematic issue, in order to update the debate on the question of self-determination. And I would like to suggest that UNPO and the Parliamentarians for National Self-Determination, convened today here at the Westminster parliament, would organise such a conference in the next months.

Strengthening democracy, human rights, the right to self-determination and the rule of law in the broad sense is the milestone to achieving peaceful coexistence and progress, and to meeting the challenges of the present time.

I can see the determination for the struggle of the aspiration for a full identity of millions of individuals and hundreds of nations and peoples worldwide; and to achieve the full expression of a fundamental right as the broad concept of Self-determination in International Law and consequent actions by International Organisations and the United Nations.”