This work explores the contribution that international law may make to the resolution of culture conflicts - political disputes between the members of different ethno-cultural groups - in democratic States. International law recognises that persons belonging to minorities have the right to enjoy their own culture and peoples have the right to self-determination without detailing how these principles are to be put into effect. The emergence of democracy as a legal obligation of States permits the international community to concern itself with both the procedure and substance of 'democratic' decisions concerning ethno-cultural groups. Democracy is not to be understood simply as majority rule. Cultural conflicts in democratic States must be resolved in a way that is either acceptable or defensible and defeasible to all citizens, including persons belonging to ethno-cultural minorities. Democracy, Minorities and International Law examines the implications of this recognition.

' … the book marks a valuable contribution to the agenda of the Cambridge Studies in International and Comparative Law and the other titles in this series … [it] will provide a useful and informative read for many political scientists, international relations scholars and other social scientists as well as undergraduate and postgraduate students in these disciplines.'

Source: The Society of Legal Scholars