By Toghraq for Uyghur Edition of Uyghur Times
Date: August 12, 2025
From August 9 to 12, the city of Madeira, Portugal, hosted the annual summit of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) under the theme “Self-Determination.”
The Uyghur delegation was represented by senior members of the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), including President Turgunjan Alawudun, former President Dolkun Isa, and Vice President and Director of External Affairs Zumretay Arkin, who also serves as a member of the UNPO Presidency. They were joined by Erkin Alptekin, one of the founding members of the UNPO and a prominent Uyghur figure.
Vice President Zumretay Arkin, who chaired several sessions of the summit, shared detailed insights with Uyghur Times, stating:
“During the three-day summit, we held in-depth discussions on China’s ongoing genocide in East Turkistan, its assimilationist policies, and the Uyghur people’s aspiration for self-determination and eventual national independence. Key questions were raised, including: How can we keep the Uyghur cause on the global agenda? How can we strengthen our struggle? And what are the practical steps toward achieving our ultimate goal of national independence?”
The summit brought together representatives not only from the Uyghur leadership but also from Tibetan groups, Portuguese and Estonian communities, and students from several Canadian universities. Among the notable participants was Michael Van Walt, a renowned international lawyer who successfully lobbied the United Nations to recognize Tibet as a colonized territory. Founding members and senior officials of the UNPO were also present.
The gathering provided a platform for oppressed and stateless peoples to strategize collective advocacy efforts and reaffirm their commitment to the principle of self-determination.