The book you are holding in your hand was originally written, submitted and accepted as a Ph.D. thesis at the University of Southern Denmark. For 3 years I could immerse myself into a topic which most scholars regard as two separate ones: minority rights and the right to self-determination. This book shows that they are two sides of the same coin. Minority rights guaranteed by international hard and soft law overlap considerably with the concept of internal self-determination. Thus, the conclusion is that minorities have a right to internal self-determination; a conclusion that states should not fear but can embrace in good faith. Since the thesis was submitted, international law has developed further. This is reflected in the updates that are incorporated. A few points have been explained or strengthened. Chapter 10 has been reworked and the overlap of self-determination and minority rights is spelt out more clearly. My thanks go to many different people who were there for me during the process of writing the Ph.D. thesis and who have now helped to make the thesis into a publishable piece of work. I cannot name them all. However, I would like to thank my Ph.D. supervisor Bugge Daniel, whose nagging questions and drawing abilities I came to appreciate during the process of writing. My thanks go also to my former colleagues at the Department of Border Region Studies of the University of Southern Denmark as well as to all involved in this book project at the Law Department of the University of Southern Denmark. Furthermore, I thank the assessment committee composed of Prof. Dr. Michael Steinicke of Aarhus University, Dr. Catriona Drew of SOAS and Dr. Sia Spiliopoulou ?kermark of the ?land Islands Peace Institute for their valuable comments.