Our Work Is Guided By A Number of Legal Principles
These frameworks provide guidelines for responsible governance, helping to ensure rights, dignity, and development of all peoples are respected and upheld
United Nations Charter (1945)
Chapter XI - Declaration Regarding Non-Self-Governing Territories
Article 73
"To develop self-government, to take...political aspirations of the peoples, and to assist them in the progressive development of their free political institutions, according to the particular circumstances of each territory and its peoples and their varying stages of advancement"
Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities (1992)
General Assembly Resolution 47/135
United Nations
Article 1.1
"States shall protect the existence and the national or ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic identity of minorities within their respective territories and shall encourage conditions for the promotion of that identity."
Helsinki Declaration (1975)
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
Article 1, Paragraph VIII
"By virtue of the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, all peoples always have the right...to determine, when and as they wish, their internal and external political status, without external interference, and to pursue as they wish their political, economic, social and cultural development."
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Charter of Fundamental Rights (2000)
European Union
Chapter II - Freedoms
Article 11.1
"Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers."
European Charter of Local Self-Government (1986)
Council of Europe
Article 2
"The principle of local self-government shall be recognized in domestic legislation, and where practicable in the constitution."
Treaty establishing the European Community (2002)
European Union
Article 151.4
"The Community shall take cultural aspects into account in its action under other provisions of this Treaty, in particular in order to respect and to promote the diversity of its cultures."
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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Our policy recommendations are also guided by UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).