European instruments on human and minority rights

Abstract

Emanating principally from the Council of Europe, key European instruments have considerable potential to advance human rights strategies of indigenous groups. The Council of Europe's statutory principles are pluralist democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law. Two major texts are accounted for in this chapter: the European Convention on Human Rights 1950 and the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities 1995. Other texts, including those emanating from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe are discussed in the overall narrative of the chapter. A characteristic of European human rights law is its preoccupation with minority rights as well as general human rights. The concern with minorities is historically embedded, even if the texts on minorities are recent products.