International instruments that protect the rights of minority languages and/or their speakers are scarce, and their actual effectiveness is varied. Additionally, there are several international instruments with indirect relevance for minority language protection. This entry covers only such instruments that overtly have minority languages as their main topic. It is structured according to the various specific international organizations, except the European Union. The entry covers almost exclusively organizations based in Europe, because neither the African Union, nor the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), nor Mercado Común del Sur (MERCOSUR), nor the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), nor other such international organizations have policies that promote or protect minority languages of their member states.