The protection of national minorities is a core issue for the Council of Europe, and one of the major achievements in this field is the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. The entry into force of the Framework Convention on 1 February 1998 was indeed an event of universal stature, for the convention is the first ever legally binding multilateral instrument devoted to the protection of national minorities in general. Its importance is widely acknowledged, and the number of ratifications is impressive.

The aim of this publication is to provide all those interested in the protection of national minorities a user friendly compilation of the basic texts concerning the Framework Convention. In addition to the Framework Convention and its explanatory report the collection contains texts pertaining to the monitoring mechanism in general and the Advisory Committee in particular. It further provides the status of signatures and ratifications as well as declarations and reservations.