“Welcome to the Nation of Dova: Faith, Liberty, and Heritage United”
“A sovereign expression of Catholic values, Family Tradition, and the pursuit of Peace, Liberty & Freedom.”
What is a Micronation?
A micronation is a self-declared nation that expresses the values, traditions, and vision of its people.
While small in size, micronations are powerful symbols of identity, community, and purpose.
There’re no legal laws, code, statutes, against you forming your own micro nation. A micronation can be one person. It could be many people. It can be in your house. It could be your backyard. It could be in your car. It could be your entire property of house and yard.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR, 1948)
Article 15: Everyone has the right to a nationality.
The U.S. Department of State affirms the right to a nationality as a fundamental human right and actively works to prevent and reduce statelessness globally.
While the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is not legally binding on its own, the U.S. supports its core tenets and considers the right to a nationality as part of broader human rights objectives.
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR, 1966)
Article 1: All peoples have the right to self-determination.
UN Charter (1945)
Article 1: Promotes self-determination of peoples.
Article 2: Establishes the principle of sovereign equality of all its Members.
MicroNation Legitimacy
I. Foundational International Law Sources
A. Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States (1933)
Defines the declarative theory of statehood:
- A permanent population
- A defined territory
- Government
- Capacity to enter relations with other states
Note: Widely cited by micronations as their main “legal backbone.”
B. UN Charter (1945)
- Article 1(2): Promotes self-determination of peoples.
- Article 2(1): Establishes the principle of sovereign equality of all its Members.
Note: While recognition is political, many micronations lean on the UN Charter to argue their right to self-determination.
C. Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR, 1948)
- Article 15: Everyone has the right to a nationality.
- Article 20: Freedom of association & peaceful assembly.
Note: Micronations sometimes interpret this as support for creating their own nationality or community.
D. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR, 1966)
- Article 1: All peoples have the right to self- determination.
Note: This clause is heavily cited by independence and micronation movements.
E. Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (1969)
- Establishes the rules for treaties between states.
Note: While micronations aren’t recognized parties, they sometimes use it to draft their own “treaties” and “declarations.”
F. Helsinki Final Act (OSCE, 1975)
Affirms respect for territorial integrity, sovereignty, and the right of peoples to self-determination.
II. Doctrines & Theories
- Declarative Theory of Statehood
- States exist if they meet the Montevideo criteria, regardless of recognition.
- Constitutive Theory of Statehood
- A state only exists if recognized by other states.
Note: This is the challenge micronations face, since recognition is political, not legal.
III. Other References Sometimes Cited by Micronations
A. UCC (Uniform Commercial Code): Some micronations (especially “sovereign citizen”-leaning ones) claim commercial law principles support sovereignty — but this isn’t accepted in international law.
B. European Convention on Human Rights (1950): Freedom of thought, conscience, & religion.
C. African Charter on Human & Peoples’ Rights (1981): Also emphasizes self-determination.
Summary:
The Montevideo Convention is your strongest legal footing, combined with the UN Charter, ICCPR, and UDHR for self-determination and human rights.
Recognition remains the biggest hurdle, since under the constitutive theory, political acceptance by other states matters most.
