International Protection of Minorities

Protection of minorities is the protection of non-dominant groups which, while wishing in general for equality of treatment with the majority, intend for a measure of differential treatment which they possess and which distinguish them from the majority of the society. The protection applies equally to individuals belonging to such groups and wishing the same protection. This protection of minorities requires positive action to safeguard the rights of the minority groups, provided the people concerned wish to maintain their differences of language, religion and culture. The imperative need to protect the rights of minority groups was felt for the first time when the United Nations inserted their rights in Article 27 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which reads as under: “In those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities exist, persons belonging to such minorities shall not be denied the right, in community with the other members of their group, to enjoy their own culture, to process and practice their own religion, or to use their own language.” The various papers which were presented in the session of 1985 of the Centre for Studies and Research in International Law and International Relations under the auspices of the Hague Academy of International Law, have been collected, after proper editing, in this book with an object of highlighting the urgent attention and the need that the question concerning the protection of minorities deserve.

Dr. Satish Chandra, the editor of the present work has had a brilliant academic career. After obtaining his B.Sc. degree, he got LL.B. Degree winning the Chancellor’s Medal in Law. He is also a recipient of the “Gold Medal”. In his LL.M. Examination, having specialized in the International Law, he worked on the “U.N. Convenant on Civil and Political Rights and Its Discriminaroty Clauses-A Study in Perspective” for his doctoral research. Soon after obtaining his LL.D. degree, he was appointed as Reader in the Faculty of Laws, H.P. University, Shimla where he is serving at present. Dr. Satish Chandra, has participated in several academic activities in India and also abroad. He is on the editorial board of the Indian Socio-legal Journal. He has published more than two dozen papers in various legal periodicals of repute, besides his four books namely: Civil and Political Rights of the Aliens, Individual’s Petition in International Law, Minorities in National and International Law, and Law of the Sea: Text of the U.N. Conventions.