Mercè Monje Cano was born in Barcelona and holds a bachelor’s degree in Humanities, with further studies in international relations, cultural cooperation, advocacy and human rights, as well as a master’s degree in communications and public relations. She is fluent in English, Catalan, Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese. Her professional experience spans Brazil, England, Mexico, Mali, Italy, Spain, France and Switzerland, where she has worked with civil society organisations, local communities and international institutions. This international background has shaped her practitioner-oriented approach to minority, Indigenous and unrepresented peoples’ rights, with a focus on community engagement, collective rights, and inclusive participation in global decision-making processes. Central to her work is a rights-based understanding of self-determination. Mercè promotes practical, community-led pathways for Peoples to exercise their collective rights, ranging from cultural and linguistic protection to political participation, territorial governance and the preservation of identity. Her approach emphasises constructive dialogue, non-violent strategies and the recognition of Peoples as essential actors in shaping sustainable, democratic and resilient societies. She joined the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) in 2019 and has since worked closely with more than 40 unrepresented nations, Indigenous peoples and minority communities worldwide. At UNPO, she has held the positions of UN Representative, Head of Programmes and Executive Director, and was appointed Secretary-General in 2023. In addition to her role as UNPO Secretary-General and since 2021, Mercè has collaborated with the University of Oxford, and from 2023 onward she has served as a consultant in support of research and policy work. She has authored and co-authored several reports and articles on unrepresented peoples, identity-based discrimination and collective rights. Currently based in Geneva, she continues to advance community-led approaches to the protection of peoples’ rights and participation.