A/HRC/22/49 and cultural rights, there is a concern that there are no specific provisions relating to language or linguistic minorities, given the rich and diverse linguistic heritage of the region and the threatened status of many minority languages. 37. The American Convention on Human Rights contains minimal provisions for the protection of language rights and linguistic minorities beyond the inclusion of language as a ground of discrimination. The Organization of American States established a working group to prepare a draft inter-American convention against racism and all forms of discrimination and intolerance. Inclusion of strong linguistic minority rights provisions would ensure greater national attention by member States. IV. Specific areas of linguistic minority concern 38. In the following sections, the Independent Expert considers specific concerns relating to linguistic minorities and minority languages. They are not exhaustive and not all issues are present in all regions. They provide an overview of some of the many issues that the Independent Expert intends to consult further on in order to develop her understanding of global concerns and regional trends. A. Threats to the existence of minority languages and linguistic minorities 39. The phenomenon of minority language decline constitutes an urgent global challenge. The UNESCO Endangered Languages Programme17 warns that half of the world’s estimated 6,000 plus languages will likely die out by the end of the century. In some cases significant and urgent efforts are required to protect both the communities and their language heritage. The decline in numbers of language speakers may be due to a combination of factors, including the result of processes of cultural dilution through interethnic marriage, voluntary relocation and decline in community numbers. However, some groups are vulnerable to factors beyond their control, such as policies of assimilation that promote dominant national or official languages, the impact of conflict, or forced displacement from their traditional lands. Some countries have aggressively promoted a single national language as a means of reinforcing sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity. 40. More than 3,000 languages are reportedly spoken by fewer than 10,000 people each. Some smaller minority communities with distinct languages are considered to be in danger of disappearing completely as distinct linguistic groups due to such factors as resettlement, displacement, conflict, assimilation, cultural dilution, environmental factors and loss of land.18 While over 20 languages are spoken in Cambodia, UNESCO has warned that 19 Cambodian languages are at risk of extinction over the coming decades.19 These are not isolated examples, and further research is required globally to enable effective policy responses to protect the existence of linguistic minorities and preserve their language, cultures and traditions for future generations. 17 18 19 See www.unesco.org/new/en/culture/themes/endangered-languages/. See, for example, the report of the Independent Expert on her mission to Ethiopia (A/HRC/4/9/Add.3), para. 19. National experts suggested that the number of endangered communities in Ethiopia, some of which have fewer than 300 members, could be as high as 16 out of some 80 identified communities. An unknown number of minority communities are believed to have already disappeared completely (ibid.). See Voice of America, ―Cambodia’s minority languages face bleak future‖. Available from www.voanews.com/content/cambodias-minority-languages-face-bleak-future-82250487/165301.html. 11