Vol. 7, Issue 1, Part A (2025)

The word "minority" has changed a lot over the years. It comes from the Latin word minōritās and the French word minorité, both of which meant a smaller group of people in numbers. But after World War I, it came to mean groups that were different because of race, religion, language and other social as well as cultural factors. The League of Nations and later the United Nations (UN) were crucial in making it easier for minorities to be recognized. Because, almost all countries don't want to agree on a single meaning that is why the word "minority" is still hard to pin down, even after a lot of international discussion. Yet, efforts by the UN Sub-Commission may be appreciated, mainly due to the definition by the Capotorti (1977) and Deschenes (1985). Both will be talked about later.
Minorities are defined not only by the number of people who belong to them, but also by their unique identities (racial, religious, cultural), and their sense of unity. International law includes treaties like the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and agreements made by groups like the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNESCO. These provide security and non-discrimination terms. Even though these laws are in place, there is not a way to make sure they are followed by each nation. This means that minority groups around the world are still being left out of institutions, discriminated against in the workplace and marginalised in politics and society.
This article takes a critical look at the concepts that underlie minority status, the ways in which international legal systems have evolved over the course of time and the challenges that are associated with the enforcement of minority rights all over the globe. It also demonstrates that regulations need to be implemented with more vigor in order to ensure that the protection of minority groups is not only a theoretical concept but is really put into effect.