Protection of Rights of Minorities under International Law

There is hardly any country in the world that does not have minorities within their territories. Although there is no accurate statistics, the UN estimates suggest that 10 to 20 percent of the world’s population belong to minority groups. In most cases minorities are the most disadvantaged groups in the society. They are often subjected to discrimination; exclusion from power; denial of dignity, identity and culture. They are also excluded from meaningful participation in public and political life. Even in this modern age, cases of genocide targeting minorities are also reported. Although protection of minorities has been one of the oldest concerns of International Law, the need of their protection has never been as urgent as it is in our times. This research paper aims at putting light on the rights of minorities under International Law by inspecting the chronological development of the same.