UNITED NATIONS A General Assembly Distr. GENERAL A/51/536 22 October 1996 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH Fifty-first session Agenda item 110 (b) HUMAN RIGHTS QUESTIONS: HUMAN RIGHTS QUESTIONS, INCLUDING ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES FOR IMPROVING THE EFFECTIVE ENJOYMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS Effective promotion of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities Report of the Secretary-General CONTENTS Paragraphs Page I. INTRODUCTION ......................................... 1 - 11 4 II. PROMOTION AND PROTECTION BY STATES OF THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS BELONGING TO NATIONAL OR ETHNIC, RELIGIOUS AND LINGUISTIC MINORITIES ................................ 12 - 44 5 Protection of the existence of persons belonging to minorities .................................... 13 - 14 5 B. The right to enjoy their own culture ............. 15 - 18 5 C. The right to practise and profess their own religion ......................................... 19 - 20 7 D. The right to use their own language .............. 21 - 25 7 E. The right to participate effectively in decisions at the national level ............................ 26 - 27 8 A. 96-28907 (E) 131196 /...