A/HRC/40/64/Add.2
94. The Special Rapporteur urges the Government of and members of the San
communities from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve to engage in consultations to
allow the San communities to continue traditional hunting, grazing or foraging
activities consistent with wildlife conservation. These consultations should include
future agreements on community-based natural resource management and tourism.
In order to avoid further litigation, the Special Rapporteur encourages the
Government to adopt a less restrictive interpretation of the High Court decision in
the Sesana case and to facilitate the return of all those who were removed from the
Central Kalahari Game Reserve who wish to return, along with their descendants
regardless of age.
G.
Information and communications
95. Information and communication activities in the country, particularly
awareness-raising campaigns regarding important health issues such as HIV/AIDS,
should not be exclusively in Setswana or English. Since communities are most
effectively reached in their own languages, local minority languages should be used
as much as is practicably possible.
96.
The Special Rapporteur recommends the lifting of any restriction or
prohibition against the use of languages other than English or Setswana in private
print, broadcasting and any other media. He urges the Government to allocate
broadcasting licences for locally based community radio stations so that these can
reach minorities in their own languages in the parts of the country where they live. In
relation to public broadcasting and print media, the development of a national policy,
based on a proportional approach to the use of minority languages in the country,
including sign language, should be studied.
H.
Disaggregated data for better and more effective policies
97.
The Government of Botswana is invited to review its national census approach
and, as is the case in many other countries, collect and analyse data disaggregated by
ethnicity, religion and language, in full compliance with standards of personal data
protection and privacy.
I.
Deaf minority and sign language
98.
The Special Rapporteur recommends that the Government initiate a national
consultation process to revise and improve the effectiveness of the country’s approach
to the use of sign language in education and other areas, such as the judiciary and
public health, to address numerous concerns, including in relation to awarenessraising programmes and important decision-making processes.
99.
It is also recommended that sign language interpretation be increased on
national television to include key television information programmes, such as those on
HIV/AIDS.
100. The Special Rapporteur urges the Botswana Qualifications Authority to review
its accreditation procedures for sign language interpreters in consultation with
organizations working with the deaf community.
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