This Guide outlines the procedures currently available for the promotion and protection of the rights of minorities within the human rights mechanisms of the United Nations. The Guide was prepared as a tool for training courses on minority rights. It has been piloted on two courses in Geneva and Budapest organized for representatives from minority communities and those working with minorities. One of the authors participated in both courses. The Guide will be used on future training courses for minorities and for government officials by Minority Rights Group International and the Raoul Wallenberg Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. In addition to its role as course material, the guide also provides a work of reference which will be of interest to all those concerned about minority rights.

This Guide outlines the procedures currently available for the promotion and protection of the rights of minorities within the human rights mechanisms of the United Nations. The Guide was prepared as a tool for training courses on minority rights. It has been piloted on two courses in Geneva and Budapest organized for representatives from minority communities and those working with minorities. One of the authors participated in both courses. The Guide will be used on future training courses for minorities and for government officials by Minority Rights Group International and the Raoul Wallenberg Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. In addition to its role as course material, the guide also provides a work of reference which will be of interest to all those concerned about minority rights.

"The present guide offers information related to norms and mechanisms developed to protect the rights of persons belonging to national, ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities. It includes detailed information about procedures and forums in which minority issues may be raised to minorities and by also covering selected specialized agencies and regional mechanisms, the present Guide complements information contained in Working with the United Nations Human Rights Programme: A Handbook for Civil Society"--Introduction.

This guide explains how the United Nations (UN) works. It aims to demystify the UN’s human rights mechanisms, procedures and institutions. It shows how minorities and minority-based nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) can use the UN and its different bodies to promote respect for minority rights. It offers practice advice, case studies and step-by-step guidance to working with the UN; showing, for example, how NGOs can provide information to the UN, how they can pursue cases and lobby for their issues, and where the best entry points are within the UN’s institutions and monitoring mechanisms. While this guide is aimed at minority-based NGOs, and NGOs working to promote human rights, it will be of interest to anyone wishing to learn more about the UN.

Minorities make significant contributions to the richness and diversity of society, and States that recognize and promote minority rights are more likely to remain tolerant and stable. The United Nations and other intergovernmental organizations recognize that minority rights are essential to protect those who wish to preserve and develop values and practices which they share with other members of their community. This Guide offers information related to norms and mechanisms developed to protect the rights of persons belonging to national, ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities. It provides detailed information about procedures and forums in which minority issues may be raised within the United Nations system and in regional systems. It is hoped that this Guide will be useful in assisting minority advocates to make full and effective use of existing international mechanisms and, ultimately, to promote and protect the rights guaranteed under international instruments.

"The present guide offers information related to norms and mechanisms developed to protect the rights of persons belonging to national, ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities. It includes detailed information about procedures and forums in which minority issues may be raised to minorities and by also covering selected specialized agencies and regional mechanisms, the present Guide complements information contained in Working with the United Nations Human Rights Programme: A Handbook for Civil Society"--Introduction.

The year 2012 marks the 20th anniversary of the United Nations (UN) Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities . It was unanimously adopted by the UN General Assembly on 18 December 1992 and is the primary UN document dedicated to the rights of minorities. Minorities throughout the world have benefited from the adoption of the Declaration as the international community recognized and codified their rights, and national governments took action to protect these rights. But there is still a long way to go in order to fully implement this historic Declaration. This guide aims to celebrate the international recognition of minority rights and to help community activists protect their rights at the national and local levels. We hope this guide will promote awareness of the Declaration among minority communities and help ensure that more governments respect the principles that it contains.

"Building and strengthening the 'rule of law' in developing nations, particularly countries in transition or emerging from a period of armed conflict, has become a central focus of the work of the United Nations. As a result, there is a growing demand throughout the United Nations system to better understand the delivery of justice in conflict and post-conflict situations and the impact of developments in this area. The United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), in cooperation with other United Nations departments, agencies, funds and programmes, have developed an instrument to monitor changes in the performance and fundamental characteristics of criminal justice institutions in conflict and post-conflict situations. The instrument consists of a set of indicators, the United Nations Rule of Law indicators. This guide describes how to implement this instrument and measure these indicators"--P. v.

"The Handbook aims to be a practical tool for implementation, explaining and illustrating the implications of each article of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and of the two Optional Protocols adopted in 2000 as well as their interconnections."--P. xvii.

In recent years, increased attention has been given to economic, social and cultural (ESC) rights internationally and, to a certain degree, domestically. However not enough has been done to consider fully and systematically the economic, social and cultural rights of minorities and indigenous peoples. This guide aims to bridge this gap. It provides an overview of ESC rights and how these can be applied to minorities and indigenous peoples. Aimed at minority and indigenous activists and those working with them, each chapter has been written by an expert on a particular right, who provides practical information and advice about the best ways to advocate for securing ESC rights. The chapters cover the rights to food and water, housing, health, education, labour and culture and describe the legal standards, enforcement mechanisms, and guidelines for successful civil society advocacy.