Minority Treaties

The Minority Treaties^[a] are treaties, League of Nations mandates,^[1] and unilateral declarations^[2] made by countries applying for membership in the League of Nations that conferred basic rights on all the inhabitants of the country without distinction of birth, nationality, language, race or religion. The country concerned had to acknowledge the clauses of the treaty as fundamental laws of state and as obligations of international concern placed under the guarantee of the League of Nations.^[3] Most of the treaties entered into force after the Paris Peace Conference.

^ In the south West Africa Case the International Court of Justice noted that the mandates were always regarded as treaties or conventions. See International Law Reports, Elihu Lauterpacht, Cambridge University Press, 1971, ISBN 0-521-46382-3, p. 93
^ In the Albanian Schools case the Permanent Court of International Justice held that Declarations made before the League Council were tantamount to a treaty. See International Human Rights in Context, Henry J. Steiner, Philip Alston, Ryan Goodman, Oxford University Press US, 2008, ISBN 0-19-927942-X, page 100
^ Rosting, Helmer (1923). "Protection of Minorities by the League of Nations". The American Journal of International Law. 17 (4). American Society of International Law: 641–60. doi:10.2307/2188655. ISSN 2161-7953. JSTOR 2188655. S2CID 147661521. and United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181, Part I. - Future Constitution and Government of Palestine, C. Declaration, Chapter 4: Miscellaneous Provisions

[1] In the south West Africa Case the International Court of Justice noted that the mandates were always regarded as treaties or conventions. See International Law Reports, Elihu Lauterpacht, Cambridge University Press, 1971, ISBN 0-521-46382-3, p. 93

[2] In the Albanian Schools case the Permanent Court of International Justice held that Declarations made before the League Council were tantamount to a treaty. See International Human Rights in Context, Henry J. Steiner, Philip Alston, Ryan Goodman, Oxford University Press US, 2008, ISBN 0-19-927942-X, page 100

[3] Rosting, Helmer (1923). "Protection of Minorities by the League of Nations". The American Journal of International Law. 17 (4). American Society of International Law: 641–60. doi:10.2307/2188655. ISSN 2161-7953. JSTOR 2188655. S2CID 147661521. and United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181, Part I. - Future Constitution and Government of Palestine, C. Declaration, Chapter 4: Miscellaneous Provisions

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