Minority Rights Group

Description

Minority Rights Group is an international human rights organization that works with ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, and indigenous peoples worldwide.

It supports these communities in defending their rights to land, language, beliefs, culture, education, employment and public life, guided by a worldwide network of partner organizations in more than 60 countries. Its work includes international advocacy, strategic litigation, media programmes, research, training and coaching, and advice to bodies such as UN agencies and governments. It has consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council, observer status with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and is registered with the Organization of American States.

The organization was founded in 1969 in the United Kingdom by David Astor, then editor of the Observer newspaper, initially to publish information on ethnic persecution and discrimination. It is governed by an international Council that meets twice a year and has produced the World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples along with annual reports on minority and indigenous trends. It has also brought legal cases before courts such as the European Court of Human Rights and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Minority Rights Group has regional offices for Africa, established in 2003 in Kampala, Uganda, and for Europe, established in 1996 in Budapest, Hungary, alongside its headquarters in London.