The concept and historical evolution of minority rights

Abstract

This article examines the historical evolution of minority protection in the international system, tracing its development from early confessional safeguards to modern rights-based approaches through a comparative analysis of key institutional frameworks. It finds that minority rights protection has advanced unevenly, shaped by shifting political priorities, with the League of Nations representing the first comprehensive attempt to internationalise the issue through administrative and quasi-judicial mechanisms that, despite significant constraints, provided limited but meaningful oversight during the interwar period. In contrast, the United Nations system moved away from collective minority guarantees in favour of universal individual rights, a shift reinforced by Cold War politics and concerns over state sovereignty, resulting in weaker enforceable protections for minority communities. The article concludes that the League's system was neither predetermined to fail nor devoid of lasting influence, as core principles developed in the 1920s continue to inform contemporary debates on autonomy, cultural accommodation, and mass atrocity prevention. Ultimately, the persistence of tensions between sovereignty, self-determination, and group protection explains why international responses remain largely reactive rather than preventive.