Book excerpt: This book, the second in the series of publications on minority issues, examines the political and legal mechanisms available at European and international levels for the implementation of minority rights standards. Chapters cover the following topics: the concept of international minority rights; UN treaty monitoring bodies, particularly the Human Rights Committee; the UN Working Group on Minorities; the International Court of Justice; the European Court of Human Rights; the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities; the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages; the CSCE/OSCE mechanism for protection of minority rights; EU standards and mechanisms for the protection of minorities and the prevention of discrimination; bilateral agreements and their implementation.