Minorities and Minority Right Protection in Federations

Abstract This commentary article delves into an inclusive concept of minorities and minority rights protection in federations, to outline the general idea of the ‘minorities’ and afterward delineates the controversies regarding who the minorities are. Thus, it starts by looking into the general overview of minorities and the controversies, the development of minority rights under international instruments and the critics. It also explores minority rights to political participation and power sharing mechanisms in federations to shade light to the various understandings of the concepts. Moreover, the article examines the major contending perspectives regarding the rights to political participation of minorities. Embarking on this objective, this commentary ends with forwarding the need for looking at an institutional arrangement that effectively accommodates the needs and interests of minority groups in government affairs.