Who We Are

A Confederation for Indigenous Justice and Autonomy: CINMENA’s Aims and Objectives

CINMENA or the Confederation of Indigenous Nations of the Middle East and North Africa is a body of 66 confederated Indigenous nations, tribes and other entities including governments in exile and advocating bodies, that have adopted a joint legal approach to deal with a wide range of concerns and challenges common to Indigenous minorities, including security and international legal and diplomatic recognition. All CINMENA nations have ratified the terms of the International Covenant on the Rights of Indigenous Nations (ICRIN) as a precondition for membership.

“Determining to safeguard the freedom, common heritage and culture of their peoples, founded on the principles of democracy and the rule of law, they seek to promote stability and well-being throughout the Middle East”

-CINMENA Shingal Treaty of 2020

The Confederation of Indigenous Nations of the Middle East and North Africa (CINMENA) represents a historic alliance of more than sixty-six Indigenous nations and tribes spanning a diverse region marked by millennia of cultural heritage and repeated cycles of marginalization. Founded in 2020 and formally affirmed through the Treaty of the Confederation signed in Shingal, Ezidikhan, CINMENA stands as a unified voice calling for justice, autonomy, and dignity for the Indigenous peoples of the region.

At its core, CINMENA seeks to restore the rights and legal recognition of Indigenous nations that have long been excluded from the modern state system. Its aims are rooted in international legal principles, including the United Nations Charter and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It brings together a broad alliance of communities—including the Yezidis of Ezidikhan, Mandaeans, Zoroastrians, Shabaks, and Yarsanis—who have suffered persecution, cultural erasure, and genocide.

Recognition and Political Autonomy
CINMENA envisions a political order in which Indigenous nations govern themselves in accordance with their own traditions, constitutions, and spiritual values. Each member nation within the Confederation maintains attributes of sovereignty: a permanent government, clearly defined territorial boundaries, and autonomous legal and administrative systems. These governments function with full internal authority while coordinating collectively through the Confederation Council.

Justice and Legal Empowerment
One of the most important goals of CINMENA is access to justice. The Confederation supports the development and operation of the Nations’ International Criminal Tribunal (NICT) and its regional arm, the Ezidikhan Court for International Crimes (ECIC). These tribunals are designed to prosecute genocide, war crimes, ecocide, culturcide, and crimes against Indigenous communities—crimes that have often been ignored or inadequately addressed by state-centric international systems.

CINMENA promotes the revival and recognition of customary justice systems within each member nation, including tribal courts, councils of elders, and spiritual tribunals. These systems emphasize restorative justice, reconciliation, and collective healing, and are designed to function in harmony with international human rights norms.

Cultural and Territorial Protection
The Confederation aims to secure the recognition and protection of traditional lands and sacred sites belonging to Indigenous peoples. It advocates for legal safeguards against land dispossession, environmental destruction, and cultural appropriation. Through the principle of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), CINMENA insists that no development project or policy affecting Indigenous lands should proceed without the full and meaningful involvement of the affected communities.

Economic Development and International Trade
CINMENA envisions a future in which Indigenous nations are not economically dependent on central governments or international aid, but instead exercise full control over their resources and development. The Confederation supports the creation of regional trade agreements, local infrastructure initiatives, and international investment strategies that are equitable, transparent, and rooted in community priorities. Profits from natural resource development are to be reinvested into education, public health, and cultural preservation.

Diplomatic Engagement and Global Solidarity
A key objective of CINMENA is to secure international recognition of its member nations and their treaties. The Confederation advocates for the registration of its founding agreements and future treaties with the United Nations Treaty Section, and seeks observer or consultative status with global institutions that engage with Indigenous issues, environmental justice, and peacebuilding.

CINMENA also calls upon other Indigenous movements globally to form alliances and coordinate efforts across borders. It views its model as part of a broader international shift toward a more pluralistic and inclusive legal order in which Indigenous nations are not subjects of states but equal partners in shaping the future.

Security and Mutual Protection
The Confederation’s founding documents provide for collective security mechanisms. Member nations agree to uphold non-aggression, resolve disputes peacefully, and consult in times of crisis. CINMENA is developing early warning systems and mutual response protocols to defend member communities from displacement, violence, and state-sponsored repression.

CINMENA is a bold and necessary response to centuries of denial, disempowerment, and destruction. It is a call for the restoration of justice, the affirmation of Indigenous identity, and the recognition that the future of the Middle East and North Africa must include the voices and rights of its original peoples. Through shared governance, legal sovereignty, and regional solidarity, CINMENA offers a transformative vision—one in which Indigenous nations do not merely survive, but lead.

The Confederation of Indigenous Nations of the Middle East and North Africa (CINMENA) consists of: