Minority Rights Group
Minority Rights Group (MRG) is an international human rights non-governmental organization working with ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, and indigenous peoples worldwide. It was founded in 1969 by David Astor, the then-editor and proprietor of the Observer newspaper in the United Kingdom. Minority Rights Group has more than 300 partner organizations in more than 60 countries. MRG has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and observer status with the African Commission for Human and Peoples’ Rights, while also registered with the Organization of American States. MRG co-designs programmes its international partners using human rights-based approaches that emphasize participation, inclusion, remedies, restitution and sustainability. They publish authoritative publications for decision makers, academics and the media, they produce documentary films on a wide range of minority and indigenous communities. MRG supports the advocacy initiatives of minority and indigenous community representatives, while also conducts advocacy at the national, regional and international levels. Minority Rights Group have trained thousands of minority and indigenous activists in advocacy, campaigning, communications, law and more. MRG provides advice to a wide range of institutions such as UN agencies, government departments and companies. Minority Rights Group has regional offices in Africa (established in 2003 in Kampala, Uganda) and Europe. Minority Rights Group Europe (MRGE) was established in 1996 in Budapest aiming to promote and protect minority and indigenous peoples’ rights with a primary regional focus on Europe and Central Asia. The Budapest-based office acts as a focal point for multiple CSO networks, supporting joint advocacy initiatives towards the EU institutions, the OSCE and the Council of Europe.