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 meticulously researched book explores the relationship between self-determination and minority rights in international law. It is highlydetailed in its treatment of the subject, discussing very recent events, such as the atrocities in the former Yugoslavia, in a valuable historical context. His analysis of the issues provide the reader with a significant clarification of the legal issues involved, especially since the establishment of theUN and the development of international norms of human rights. As such, the book will hold particular appeal for all those who are interested in international law and politics, as well as students of modern history wishing to be informed on this hotly debated issue.

The book's great strength from the point of view of non-lawyers lies in the clarity with which it unfolds, expounds and analyses the arguments that have been used by international bodies, states and ethnic movements to justify particular courses of action and inaction. The complex inter-relationships between self-determination and minority protection, which lie at the core of the book, are especially well handled the book's realism will appear to scholars whose firm disciplinary grounding in realpolitik may prejudice them against legally-based approaches., offers a fresh approach to the origins of self-determination ... offers clearly argued positions about contentious issues ... very well written and ... accessible to most readers. It should be read by all those involved in any way in matters that raise issues of self-determination and minority rights., immensely helpful in providing a proper perspective.

Thomas Musgrave is a lecturer in law at the University of Wollongong in Australia. He has practised as a barrister in Canada.