The evolution of OSCE’s normative response to minority issue. From collective rights to individual rights

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Abstract

In the matter of minorities, the law on persons is made of two normative ensembles: a universal one, devised by the United Nations, and one with a more regional scope, built up by OSCE practice, as well as that of the Council of Europe, the European Union and a series of bilateral treaties. The Copenhagen Document marks the evolution of the standards applied by these European institutions in this field, starting from the notions of protection of individual and collective rights, to come to a system enhancing the protection of the individual rights of persons belonging to national minorities over the protection of collective rights. The concept of ‘new minorities’ that appeared in the last few years in Europe may be framed by this new approach.

AFRI 2007 Summary