Self-determination and National Minorities

The concept of self-determination has played a very important role in the shaping of the international community in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It is closely linked in a number of different ways to the status of minorities and minorities frequently make claims to self-determination as a right for themselves. This book explores the relationship between self-determination and minority rights in international law. It discusses recent events, such as the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia, in a valuable historical context. The author's analysis of the issues provides the reader with a significant clarification of the legal issues involved, especially since the establishment of the UN and the development of international norms of human rights.