A/CONF.189/PC.1/7 page 44 29 One author rightly observes that religion can be used as an ethnic criterion. The author points out that “a group speaking the same language and belonging to the same race as other groups can be distinguished from them ‘ethnically’ based on the sole criterion of religion”. The author explains that in many countries a number of “nationalities” are defined by their ethnic origin, that is, on an exclusively religious basis. See Ben Achour, op. cit., pp. 350-351. 30 See in this connection the major study by Capotorti (note 11 above), p. 37 ff. and p. 105 ff. See also Alain Fenet and Gérard Soulier, Les minorités et leurs droits depuis 1789, Paris, L’Harmattan, 1989; Fabienne Rousso-Lenoir, Minorités et droits de l’homme: l’Europe et son double, Bruylant - LGDJ, 1994 and Jean Duffar, “La protection internationale des droits des minorités religieuses”, Revue de droit public, 1995, No. 6, pp. 1496-1530, particularly p. 1503 ff. 31 Some authors (including Capotorti, para. 227; Duffar, loc. cit., p. 1504; and Ben Achour, op. cit., p. 431) question whether there is some duplication between article 18 and article 27 insofar as they both codify, either indirectly or directly, the rights of minorities, with the exception of (see Capotorti) those rights enjoyed by “minority religious communities” as such religious schools, laws governing property, status of ministers of religion, protection of holy places, etc. 32 This concerns the making of a distinction between “old” and “new” minorities; see Capotorti, para. 205. 33 On this subject, legal writers have stated that “article 27 does not protect either isolated individuals or minorities but persons belonging to minorities who have the right, pursuant to article 27, together with other members of their group, … to profess or practice their own religion”; see Duffar, op. cit., p. 1503, Capotorti, para. 206. 34 Op. cit., para. 197. The author refers to the draft resolution on the definition of minorities considered by the Sub-Commission at its third session in 1950: “… distinctive population groups possessing racial, religious, linguistic or cultural characteristics different from those of the rest of the population, usually known as minorities” (footnote 73 to para. 197). 35 Adolfo Stavenhagen, “Les conflits ethniques et leur impact sur la société internationale”, Revue internationale des sciences sociales, 1991, No. 127, p. 124; Roland Breton, Les ethnies, Paris, PUF, Que sais-je? 1992, pp. 5-13. 36 For example, the right to own property (Zalay Banco v. Nicaragua, decision of 20 July 1994); the right to conscientious objection (LTK v. Finland, 9 July 1985; communications Nos. 285/1998, Järvinen v. Finland; No. 666/1995, Fréderic Foin v. France and No. 682/1996, Paul Westerman v. Netherlands) and the right to social welfare (several decisions on the right to unemployment benefits, invalidity pensions, education grants, etc.). According to the Committee, the application of the principle of non-discrimination set forth in article 26 is not restricted to the rights stipulated in the Covenant. See General Comment 18, para. 13.