This guide was published by the Tom Lantos Institute in connection with the 30th Anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious, and Linguistic Minorities.

“Protecting Minority Rights: A Practical Guide to Developing Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Legislation ” is the definitive guidance by the United Nations on the laws which states must enact in order to meet their international human rights law obligations to prohibit discrimination.

The Cultural Rights Manual touches upon multiple aspects of culture and cultural rights in relation to both human rights, diversity, sustainability, freedom, gender, climate and more.

This guide aims to celebrate the international recognition of minority rights and to help com-munity 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.

This guide explains, in a reader-friendly way, who are the main actors working on minority issues in the United Nations and in key regional organizations, and what are the best ways of engaging them.

The Guide importantly combines an illuminating account of the norms and standards of ICERD together with an analysis of the procedures, employing explanatory case studies where appropriate. The Convention is not an easy instrument to understand. The Guide takes the reader to first base and beyond; putting knowledge into practical effect necessitates further applied analysis and reflection, and hard work.

The present guide provides an overview of areas of international and regional human rights jurisprudence which have, or may have an impact on the protection of ethno-cultural minority groups, including indigenous peoples. It aims primarily to assess the law as it is shaped through the recent practice of judicial and quasi-judicial bodies, and to relate that practice to the relevant human rights mechanisms

This publication was prepared by OHCHR to raise additional awareness, among its staff and colleagues in other United Nations organizations and specialized agencies, of minority rights and the impediments minorities face in the enjoyment of these rights. It is expected that this publication will assist United Nations colleagues to help strengthen programmes for minorities at the country level based on the principles established in relevant international human rights instruments and documents, in particular the United Nations Minorities Declaration.

This guide highlights the positive impact that the integration of minority issues can have on development programming processes. While recognizing that diverse development situations involve different challenges and require specific solutions, the document provides practical guidance by drawing on various standards and principles and by providing examples and entry points. The Guide is primarily intended for UNDP country office practitioners and those with policy advisory responsibilities, but it may also serve as a reference document for other UN agencies, multilateral organizations, government counterparts and institutions, and civil society organizations.

This Guide will provide a useful tool for training and to spark discussion for institutions in the development of their capacities for dealing with minority issues.

This guide introduces a number of specific economic, social and cultural rights and explains how they may empower minorities and indigenous peoples. Its analysis, examples and ideas will help to ensure that minorities and indigenous peoples enjoy a central role in the dynamic and growing movement for economic, social and cultural rights. Designed for community organizations, the publication is a practical, user-friendly, advocacy tool in relation to the economic, social and cultural rights of minorities and indigenous peoples.

The aim of this guide is to demystify the human rights mechanisms and procedures of the United Nations (UN)and to demonstrate how minorities and minority non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can use these tools to promote respect for minority rights. The guide gives an overview of the mechanisms available, highlights their strengths and weaknesses as instruments for minorities to use in their work, and emphasizes NGOs’ contributions.

The main purpose of this gudie is to provide an introduction to the ILO, and the openings it provides for defending and promoting the rights of minorities and indigenous peoples. It gives the reader an overview of the ILO’s main structures, committees and working methods, in an accessible format, and with practical advice on their use.

The purpose of this manual is twofold: to explain what the main provisions of the Convention are, and throw light on the working procedure of CERD; second, to suggest what roles NGOs can play, including in the work of CERD, and how NGOs can use the Convention as an effective tool for the fight against discrimination and racism.