Political geographies of self-determination: analysing the membership politics of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation

ESRC Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) collaborative doctoral studentship.

The School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford with the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO)

SUPERVISORS

Professor Fiona McConnell, University of Oxford

Mercè Monje Cano, Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation

PROJECT OVERVIEW

A people’s right to self-determination – the right to choose their political status and to pursue their own economic, cultural, and social development – is a principle of international law enshrined in the UN Charter. Yet this seemingly straightforward right is often misunderstood, dismissed as a relic of mid-twentieth-century decolonisation, and framed as a threat to international stability. Few are more familiar with these difficulties than the 39 stateless, minority, and Indigenous groups that comprise the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO), all of whom claim the right to self-determination but have thus far been denied it. This project collaborates with UNPO–a unique membership organisation of communities officially excluded from international decision-making, established in 1991–to investigate these communities’ overlooked self-determination claims. In so doing, the project analyses shifts in how the right to self-determination is claimed, granted and denied across unrepresented communities since 1991, and thereby reimagines self-determination beyond its Western, colonial associations in international law.

Situated at the intersection of critical geopolitics and postcolonial and legal geographies, this project will develop new knowledge concerning geopolitical agency in the inter-state system’s margins, the construction and contestation of political legitimacy, and how the right to self-determination is articulated across different political and geographical contexts. The partnership with UNPO will provide unparalleled access to a wide range of communities who have claimed the right to self-determination, thus offering an opportunity to chart shifts in those claims over the past 35 years.

Indicative research questions include the following, but applicants will have capacity to shape and develop the project:

1. What are the geographical and political trends among successful and unsuccessful UNPO membership applications since its establishment in 1991?
2. How have UNPO members variously articulated and pursued their right to self-determination?
3. What are the conditions for successful self-determination claims?

Applicants will ideally have a disciplinary background in political geography or cognate fields (political anthropology, critical international relations), and experience of qualitative research methods, including interviews, archival research and discourse analysis.

PARTNERSHIP

The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO) is a global platform committed to amplifying the voices of unrepresented peoples and nations, securing their equal participation on the world stage and safeguarding their fundamental rights. Established in 1991 it is a membership-based organisation, comprising of stateless nations, Indigenous peoples, minority communities and exile governments. The organisation undertakes advocacy with members at the UN, EU and with state governments, runs training on diplomacy and human rights, undertakes research on member human rights cases, and drafts policy reports. UNPO will provide an induction programme for the student to familiarise them with the work of the UNPO and the profiles of its members, access to UNPO archives and access to current and former UNPO members. The organisation’s Secretary General will act as external supervisor for the project, providing mentorship and advice.

STUDENTSHIP DETAILS

The PhD studentship will be funded by the Grand Union DTP for an expected 3.5 years (or part-time equivalent) from October 2026.  The award length offered may differ depending on the candidate’s prior training and how they meet ESRC training requirements.

Information about Grand Union DTP ESRC studentships and eligibility can be found on the Grand Union DTP website. 

APPLICATION DEADLINE

12:00 midday UK time on 27th January 2026

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for the studentship, you must submit an application to study for a DPhil Geography and the Environment at the University of Oxford. Details about applying can be found via https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate/courses/dphil-geography-and-environment

Your application should include a research proposal that indicates how your proposed research would engage with the core elements of this project if you were offered the studentship. Your proposal may draw on the description of the research detailed above.

In addition you must complete a Grand Union DTP Application Form  and upload it, together with your graduate application form. Please ensure you also select 'ESRC Grand Union DTP Studentships in Social Sciences' in the University of Oxford scholarships section of the University's graduate application form.

The admissions process is in two parts: applications will be assessed by the institution and the selected candidate will then be assessed as part of the applicant pool for ESRC Grand Union DTP funding.

QUERIES

Queries about the studentship should be addressed to: Professor Fiona McConnell (fiona.mcconnell@ouce.ox.ac.uk)