In the 1990s inter-ethnic conflicts threaten the stability of many states. As a result the issue of minority rights has become an urgent concern for international lawyers. Minority and Group Rights in the New Millennium examines the way in which existing international law and human rights instruments protect the rights of minorities. In addition the essays in this volume address current debates on the fundamental issue of defining a minority, the complex arguments for expanding existing definitions and the legitimacy of claims by specific groups to qualify for minority status.