International legal protection of minorities in the twentieth century: a preliminary orientation -- The inter-war era & the first institutional attempt at the international regulation of the problem of minorities -- The end of the 'remarkable experiment': approaches towards minority protection in the aftermath of World War Two -- The submergence and gradual reemergence of minorities issues within the United Nations human rights regime 1945-1989 -- The revival in minorities issues within the United Nations (1989-2000): approaches towards substance and definition -- The implementation of minority rights within the United Nations human rights regime -- Concluding observations.