Section 85p. 85

PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW COMPENDIUM VOLUME I

(c) Of denunciations received in accordance with Article

25.

ARTICLE 27

Each Party to the present Convention undertakes to

adopt, in accordance with its Constitution, the legislative

or other measures necessary to ensure the application of

the Convention.

ARTICLE 28

The provisions of the present Convention shall supersede

in

the

relations

between

the

Parties

thereto

the

provisions of the international instruments referred to in

sub-paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the second paragraph of

the Preamble, each of which shall be deemed to be

terminated

when

all

the

Parties

thereto

shall have

become Parties to the present Convention.

IN

FAITH

WHEREOF,

the

undersigned,

being

duly

authorized thereto by their respective Governments, have

signed the present Convention, opened for signature at

Lake Success, New York, on the twenty-first day of March,

one thousand nine hundred and fifty, a certified true

copy

of

which

shall

be

transmitted

by

the

Secretary-General to all the Members of the United

Nations and to the non-member States referred to in

Article 23.

(Convention on the Suppression of Traffic in Persons and

of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others, [1950])

Declaration on the Rights of Persons

Belonging

to

National

or

Ethnic

Religious and Linguistic Minorities

December 18, 1992

DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS

BELONGING TO NATIONAL OR ETHNIC RELIGIOUS AND

LINGUISTIC MINORITIES

The General Assembly,

Reaffirming that one of the basic aims of the United

Nations, as proclaimed in the Charter, is to promote and

encourage respect for human rights and for fundamental

freedoms for all, without distinction as to race, sex,

language or religion,

Reaffirming faith in fundamental human rights, in the

dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal

rights of men and women and of nations large and small,

Desiring to promote the realization of the principles

contained in the Charter, the Universal Declaration of

Human Rights, the Convention on the Prevention and

Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the International

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial

Discrimination, the International Covenant on Civil and

Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic,

Social

and

Cultural

Rights,

the

Declaration

on

the

Elimination

of

All

Forms

of

Intolerance

and

of

Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, and the

Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as other

relevant

international

instruments

that

have

been

adopted at the universal or regional level and those

concluded between individual States Members of the

United Nations,

Inspired by the provisions of article 27 of the International

Covenant on Civil and Political Rights concerning the

rights of persons belonging to ethnic, religious and

linguistic minorities,

Considering that the promotion and protection of the

rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious

and linguistic minorities contribute to the political and

social stability of States in which they live,

Emphasizing that the constant promotion and realization

of the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic,

religious and linguistic minorities, as an integral part of

the development of society as a whole and within a

democratic framework based on the rule of law, would

contribute

to

the

strengthening

of

friendship

and

cooperation among peoples and States,

Considering that the United Nations has an important

role to play regarding the protection of minorities,

Bearing in mind the work done so far within the United

Nations system, in particular by the Commission on

Human Rights, the Subcommission on Prevention of

Discrimination

and

Protection

of Minorities and the

bodies

established

pursuant

to

the

International

Covenants

on

Human

Rights

and

other

relevant

international human rights instruments in promoting

and

protecting

the

rights

of

persons

belonging

to

national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities,

Taking into account the important work which is done by

intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations

in protecting minorities and in promoting and protecting

the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic,

religious and linguistic minorities,

Recognizing the need to ensure even more effective

implementation

of

international

human

rights

instruments

with

regard

to

the

rights

of

persons

belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic

minorities,

Proclaims this Declaration on the Rights of Persons

Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic

Minorities:

ARTICLE 1

1. States shall protect the existence and the national or

ethnic,

cultural,

religious

and

linguistic

identity

of

minorities within their respective territories and shall

encourage conditions for the promotion of that identity.

2. States shall adopt appropriate legislative and other

measures to achieve those ends.

ARTICLE 2

1. Persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and

linguistic minorities (hereinafter referred to as persons

belonging to minorities) have the right to enjoy their own

culture, to profess and practise their own religion, and to

use their own language, in private and in public, freely

and without interference or any form of discrimination.

2. Persons belonging to minorities have the right to

participate

effectively

in

cultural,

religious,

social,

economic and public life.

3. Persons belonging to minorities have the right to

participate effectively in decisions on the national and,

where appropriate, regional level concerning the minority

to which they belong or the regions in which they live, in

a manner not incompatible with national legislation.

4. Persons belonging to minorities have the right to

establish and maintain their own associations.

5. Persons belonging to minorities have the right to

establish and maintain, without any discrimination, free

and peaceful contacts with other members of their group

and with persons belonging to other minorities, as well as

contacts across frontiers with citizens of other States to

whom they are related by national or ethnic, religious or

linguistic ties.

ARTICLE 3

1. Persons belonging to minorities may exercise their

rights,

including

those

set

forth

in

the

present

Declaration, individually as well as in community with

other

members

of

their

group,

without

any

discrimination.

2. No disadvantage shall result for any person belonging

to a minority as the consequence of the exercise or

© Compiled by RGL

85 of 192