In this section, a cross-section of case law relating to minority and indigenous rights is showcased. The cases are drawn from the European, Inter-American and African regional systems as well as UN Treaty bodies, and are listed in chronological order. More...
Minority rights law
'MRG's work is very important for indigenous peoples in Nicaragua. It has helped us to gain access to international bodies in order to raise issues related to our rights, especially to CERD and the Committee on Social and Cultural Rights.' (Regional de Pueblos Indigenas de la Region Central de Nicaragua)
Many governments from around the world have signed up to an impressive raft of international human rights treaties. Now minorities and indigenous peoples are pressurising governments around the world to realise their legal obligations under those treaties.
In this section, we have grouped together the main international instruments, the main jurisprudence (browseable by theme) and details of MRG’s key legal cases.
The growth of minority rights law
Modern human rights legal protection for minorities began with the system of minority rights created under the League of Nations through special treaties with Central and Eastern European states.
With the creation of the UN after World War Two, the particular vulnerability of minorities to human rights abuses was recognized by the establishment the Sub-Commission for the Prevention of Discrimination and the Protection of Minorities, followed by Article 27 of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, specifically dedicated to minorities.
A range of other instruments, followed - crucially, the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.