The Rights of Minorities: A Commentary on the European Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities(Oxford Commentaries on International Law)

The rights of minorities are becoming increasingly important, especially in the context of enlargement of the European Union, yet there are remarkably few treaties dealing with minority rights under international law. One of these is the Council of Europe's Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. This volume provides the first expert commentary on the Convention, which is the principal international document establishing minority rights in a legally binding way. Many minority rights such as those to political participation, non-assimilation, and the use of native languages are not incorporated in other major Human Rights agreements. The Convention is therefore often taken to be the leading standard in the international law of minority rights. This commentary offers a detailed article-by-article analysis of the Convention, by a group of international legal experts in minority rights. Their commentary draws upon the Convention's negotiating history and implementation practice, in addition to examining the pronouncements of the Advisory Committee, which is the implementation body attached to the treaty. It offers a clear sense of the concrete meaning of the provisions of the Convention to scholars, students, and members of minority rights groups.

Table of Contents:
Preface by Marc Weller Selected Abbreviations Notes on Contributors Table of Cases International Instruments, National Legislation, and Implementation Bodies Council of Europe Official Documents on the Framework Convention Rainer Hofmann: The Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities: An Introduction Asbjørn Eide: The Framework Convention in Historical and Global Perspective Tove H. Malloy: The Title and Preamble Section I Article 1: Hans-Joachim Heintze: Article 2: Peter Hilpold: Article 3: Hans-Joachim Heintze: Section II Article 4: Gudmunder Alfredson: Article 5: Geoff Gilbert: Article 6: Goeff Gilbert: Article 7: Zdenka Machnyikova: Article 8: Zdenka Machnyikova: Article 9: John Packer, Sally Holt: Article 10: Fernand de Varennes: Article 11: Fernand de Varennes: Article 12: Patrick Thornberry: Article 13: Patrick Thornberry: Article 14: Fernand de Varennes, Patrick Thornberry: Article 15: Marc Weller: Article 16: Jennifer Jackson-Preece: Article 17: Jennifer Jackson-Preece: Article 18: Jennifer Jackson-Preece: Article 19: Lauri Hannikainen: Section III Article 20: Peter Hilpold: Article 21: Peter Hilpold: Article 22: Lauri Hannikainen: Article 23: Peter Hilpold: Section IV Articles 24-26: Kyriaki Topidi: Section V Articles 27-32: Matthew Draper: Marc Weller: Conclusion: The Contribution of the European Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities to the Development of Minority Rights Appendix 1: The Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities Appendix 2: Explanatory Report to the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities Select Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Marc Weller is Director of the European Centre for Minority Issues and an Assistant Director of Studies in the Centre of International Studies at the University of Cambridge where he lectures on international law. He is a Fellow of the Lauterpacht Research Centre for International Law and of Hughes Hall, Cambridge.

Review :
The logically consistent structure of the chapters, the comprehensive cross-references, as well as the critical analyses of drafting and implementing procedures, all contribute to making the volume a highly constructive read