Adopted by General Assembly resolution 47/135 of 18 December 1992
The General Assembly ,
Reaffirming that one of the basic aims of the United
Nations, as proclaimed in the Charter, is to promote and encourage respect
for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction as
to race, sex, language or religion,
Reaffirming faith in fundamental human rights, in
the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and
women and of nations large and small,
Desiring to promote the realization of the
principles contained in the Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of
Genocide, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Racial Discrimination, the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,
the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of
Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, and the Convention on the Rights
of the Child, as well as other relevant international instruments that have
been adopted at the universal or regional level and those concluded between
individual States Members of the United Nations,
Inspired by the provisions of article 27 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights concerning the rights of
persons belonging to ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities,
Considering that the promotion and protection of the
rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic
minorities contribute to the political and social stability of States in
which they live,
Emphasizing that the constant promotion and
realization of the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic,
religious and linguistic minorities, as an integral part of the development
of society as a whole and within a democratic framework based on the rule of
law, would contribute to the strengthening of friendship and cooperation
among peoples and States,
Considering that the United Nations has an important
role to play regarding the protection of minorities,
Bearing in mind the work done so far within the
United Nations system, in particular by the Commission on Human Rights, the
Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities
and the bodies established pursuant to the International Covenants on Human
Rights and other relevant international human rights instruments in promoting
and protecting the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic,
religious and linguistic minorities,
Taking into account the important work which is done
by intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations in protecting
minorities and in promoting and protecting the rights of persons belonging to
national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities,
Recognizing the need to ensure even more effective
implementation of international human rights instruments with regard to the
rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic
minorities,
Proclaims this Declaration on the Rights of Persons
Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities:
Article 1
1. States shall protect the existence and the
national or ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic identity of minorities
within their respective territories and shall encourage conditions for the
promotion of that identity.
2. States shall adopt appropriate legislative
and other measures to achieve those ends.
Article 2
1. Persons belonging to national or ethnic,
religious and linguistic minorities (hereinafter referred to as persons
belonging to minorities) have the right to enjoy their own culture, to
profess and practise their own religion, and to use their own language, in
private and in public, freely and without interference or any form of
discrimination.
2. Persons belonging to minorities have the
right to participate effectively in cultural, religious, social, economic and
public life.
3. Persons belonging to minorities have the
right to participate effectively in decisions on the national and, where
appropriate, regional level concerning the minority to which they belong or
the regions in which they live, in a manner not incompatible with national
legislation.
4. Persons belonging to minorities have the
right to establish and maintain their own associations.
5. Persons belonging to minorities have the
right to establish and maintain, without any discrimination, free and
peaceful contacts with other members of their group and with persons belonging
to other minorities, as well as contacts across frontiers with citizens of
other States to whom they are related by national or ethnic, religious or
linguistic ties.
Article 3
1. Persons belonging to minorities may exercise
their rights, including those set forth in the present Declaration,
individually as well as in community with other members of their group,
without any discrimination.
2. No disadvantage shall result for any person
belonging to a minority as the consequence of the exercise or non-exercise of
the rights set forth in the present Declaration.
Article 4
1. States shall take measures where required to
ensure that persons belonging to minorities may exercise fully and
effectively all their human rights and fundamental freedoms without any
discrimination and in full equality before the law.
2. States shall take measures to create
favourable conditions to enable persons belonging to minorities to express
their characteristics and to develop their culture, language, religion,
traditions and customs, except where specific practices are in violation of
national law and contrary to international standards.
3. States should take appropriate measures so
that, wherever possible, persons belonging to minorities may have adequate
opportunities to learn their mother tongue or to have instruction in their
mother tongue.
4. States should, where appropriate, take
measures in the field of education, in order to encourage knowledge of the
history, traditions, language and culture of the minorities existing within
their territory. Persons belonging to minorities should have adequate
opportunities to gain knowledge of the society as a whole.
5. States should consider appropriate measures
so that persons belonging to minorities may participate fully in the economic
progress and development in their country.
Article 5
1. National policies and programmes shall be
planned and implemented with due regard for the legitimate interests of
persons belonging to minorities.
2. Programmes of cooperation and assistance
among States should be planned and implemented with due regard for the
legitimate interests of persons belonging to minorities.
Article 6
States should cooperate on questions relating to
persons belonging to minorities, inter alia , exchanging information and
experiences, in order to promote mutual understanding and confidence.
Article 7
States should cooperate in order to promote respect
for the rights set forth in the present Declaration.
Article 8
1. Nothing in the present Declaration shall
prevent the fulfilment of international obligations of States in relation to
persons belonging to minorities. In particular, States shall fulfil in good
faith the obligations and commitments they have assumed under international
treaties and agreements to which they are parties.
2. The exercise of the rights set forth in the
present Declaration shall not prejudice the enjoyment by all persons of
universally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms.
3. Measures taken by States to ensure the
effective enjoyment of the rights set forth in the present Declaration shall
not prima facie be considered contrary to the principle of equality contained
in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
4. 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 9
The specialized agencies and other organizations of
the United Nations system shall contribute to the full realization of the
rights and principles set forth in the present Declaration, within their
respective fields of competence.
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