Declaration 1992

Declaration of Fundamental Principles, Aims and Objectives of Cooperation of Finno-Ugric Peoples of the World

We the representatives of Finno-Ugric peoples, delegates and participants in the World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples, proceeding from the realities of present-day life that provide an historic opportunity for realization of the aspiration of our peoples for cooperation,

expressing concern about the condition of the Finno-Ugric peoples and respecting the history, traditions, culture, language and national dignity of our peoples, understanding our responsibility for our peoples development on the basis of their cultures and mode of life,

having as our aim the realization of international standards in the spheres of peoples right to self-determination, the rights of indigenous peoples and national minorities, and human rights,

declare the following:

1. the World Congress of Finno-Ugric peoples is a forum of these peoples. It is independent of governments and political parties, and aims for the status of a non-governmental organization of the UN Organization;in respect of the world community we are a voluntary union of equal kindred peoples, and as such we include ourselves in the European process of security and cooperation and are guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Paris Charter for a New Europe, the 169th Convention of the International Labour Organization concerning the rights of indigenous peoples and national minorities;
2. we intend to implement our peoples will to cooperate and render mutual aid in the spheres of law, economy, ecology, social issues, information, education, science and culture;
3. taking into consideration the different constitutions and constitutional systems of our states and understanding the possibility of different approaches to the implementation of the aforementioned aims, we intend to assert before the World Community our peoples vital interests on the basis of European humanism and the standards of international law.

We are convinced that our cooperation will contribute to the progress of all peoples in the World.

World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples
Syktyvkar
December 3, 1992