3.7 RESPONSIBILITIES
OF MINORITIES:
Minorities have rights and, like all people, they
also have responsibilities to wider society.
Minorities should respect the territorial integrity and sovereign independence of States.
The UN Declaration on the Rights of National or
Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities states,
“Nothing in the present Declaration may be construed as permitting any activity contrary to the
purposes and principles of the United Nations,
including sovereign equality, territorial integrity
and political independence of States” (article
8.4). Minority rights provisions do not recognize
the right to secession for minorities, although in
extreme cases this has been a negotiated outcome. More common are forms of territorial or
non-territorial autonomy that fulfill minority
rights and provide conditions for the peaceful
settlement of disputes or claims.
In the exercise of minority rights, minority
communities have a responsibility to respect
the human rights and fundamental freedoms
of their own members and of other human
beings. In some cases, certain practices of
minority cultures can violate the human rights
of individuals within their community. The UN
Declaration on the Rights of National or Ethnic,
Religious and Linguistic Minorities urges States
to create favourable conditions so that minorities
can express and develop their cultures, religions
and languages, “except where specific practices
are in violation of national law and contrary to
international standards” (article 4.2)
26
Minorities have a responsibility to engage in
inter-cultural understanding. The UN Declaration on the Rights of National or Ethnic, Religious
and Linguistic Minorities provides, “Persons
belonging to minorities should have adequate
opportunities to gain knowledge of the society
as a whole” (article 4.5). The parents of minority
children have a responsibility to ensure that
children have opportunities to learn about
wider society and inter-communal respect and
tolerance. The Convention on the Rights of the
Child requires education to prepare the child
for “responsible life in a free society, in the spirit
of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of
sexes, and friendship among all peoples, ethnic,
national and religious groups and persons of
indigenous origin” (article 29.1 (d)). The education of children should also be directed toward
the development of respect “for the national
values of the country in which the child is living,
the country from which he or she may originate,
and for civilizations different from his or her
own” (CRC article 29.1 (c)).
Key Messages
Minority rights do not permit
violations of the territorial integrity
and independence of states
Minorities should also respect the
human rights of all persons
Societies should engage in
inter-cultural understanding
M A R G I N A L I S E D M I N O R I T I E S I N D E V E LO P M E N T P R O G R A M M I N g