A/HRC/22/49 resources, competing demands or times of economic difficulty, may give a low priority to expenditure on the protection of the linguistic and cultural rights of minorities. However, this can lead to tensions, for example where large or concentrated minority communities are denied their rights to education in minority languages. While some measures to implement the rights of minorities are relatively low cost and cost effective, where resource constraints are acute, inter-State cooperation and assistance may provide necessary opportunities, examples of good practices and practical assistance, as envisaged under articles 6 and 7 of the 1992 Declaration on Minorities. 29. A number of conceptual issues continue to arise, and clarification would assist States in fulfilling their obligations. For example, while stronger entitlements may apply to traditionally present minorities and those that constitute a substantial percentage of a national or regional population, there is a lack of clarity regarding what the threshold should be in practice. Lack of clarity exists regarding the language rights entitlements of ―new‖ and dispersed minorities. In many countries with diverse language communities, understanding of the rights of linguistic minorities remains poor and implementation is consequently weak, inconsistent or neglected. Awareness-raising and technical assistance would improve the understanding of rights and duties as well as methodologies and technical and pedagogical modalities. B. Legal framework for the protection of the rights of linguistic minorities 30. The rights of individuals freely to use, learn and transmit their languages in public and in private without discrimination are well established in international human rights law and are understood to have group or collective dimensions. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, in article 2, requires States to ensure that the human rights of all individuals within their territory and subject to their jurisdiction will be ensured and respected without distinction of any kind including on the basis of language. Article 19 guarantees freedom of expression and the right to impart or receive information and ideas of all kinds in the medium or language of one’s choice. Article 27 reads: ―In those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities exist, persons belonging to such minorities shall not be denied the right, in community with the other members of their group, to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practise their own religion, or to use their own language.‖ The Convention on the Rights of the Child requires, under article 30, that children belonging to minorities have the right to use their own language. 31. The 1992 Declaration on Minorities further elaborates the rights of minorities, including in relation to language. Importantly it imposes positive obligations on States and the requirement for positive measures that go beyond standard non-discrimination provisions contained in other international standards. Article 1, paragraph 1, requires States to protect the existence and the national or ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic identity of minorities within their respective territories and encourage conditions for the promotion of that identity. Article 1, paragraph 2, requires the adoption of appropriate legislative and other measures to achieve those ends. Article 2, paragraph 1, states that persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities have the right to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practise their own religion, and to use their own language, in private and in public, freely and without interference or any form of discrimination. Article 4, paragraph 2, requires States to take measures to create favourable conditions to enable persons belonging to minorities to express their characteristics and to develop their culture, language, religion, traditions and customs. Article 4, paragraph 3, requires States to take 9

Select target paragraph3