A/HRC/22/49
information and documents in their language can be essential to their ability to comply with
administrative requirements and to benefit from administrative and social assistance to
which they are entitled. Where larger and established minority language communities exist
in a country, it is necessary to ensure to the fullest extent possible that public institutions in
all relevant regions are equipped to handle interactions in minority languages if required.
72.
An emerging issue is that of access to online information. Relatively little Internet
content is available in some minority languages, and those who are not proficient in
national languages, those in rural and remote localities and those in poverty may be at a
disadvantage in terms of their access. An information gap exists and may widen for some
linguistic groups which may be left behind and further socially and economically
marginalized as other population groups take advantage of online opportunities and
marketplaces. Nevertheless, the Internet can potentially play an important role in preserving
languages and in the greater dissemination of minority language information and
newspapers and magazines in minority languages.
V. Conclusions and recommendations
73.
The challenges experienced by linguistic minorities are diverse and differ
significantly according to their specific circumstances and legal and policy conditions
in their countries of residence. Some linguistic minorities are well integrated, able to
use their languages in public and private freely and find an accommodation of their
language rights and needs in administration, education and service provision. For
others, lack of official recognition or language policy and programmes for linguistic
minorities results in an environment in which there is little or no provision made for
minority languages. In some countries linguistic minorities may live mainly in rural or
remote regions where their community interactions are always in minority languages
but their children’s education is only in the national or official State language.
74.
The Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic,
Religious and Linguistic Minorities and other international standards clearly establish
the rights of linguistic minorities and the duties upon States. While they do not
require that a State provide all activities and services in every language present within
the State, in its assessment of how to fulfil its obligations, each State must take into
account numerous factors relevant to linguistic minorities, including the number of
language users and their distribution within the country. Each State can decide on
approaches to how it implements the Declaration in practice, and it is reasonable to
consider that greater attention and resources will be dedicated to certain traditionally
present, commonly spoken, or geographically concentrated languages, for example,
than are given to relatively newly established languages with few or dispersed users.
75.
Nevertheless, a reasonable degree of accommodation of smaller and lesser-used
languages should be provided. Modalities to support small or dispersed linguistic
communities must be considered and can include support for informal language
classes within or outside the public education structures and ensuring consultation
with cultural associations representing linguistic minorities to assess and respond to
specific needs. Factors such as voluntary and forced migration, conflict, climate
change, and the opening of borders, for example across the Europe Union member
States, are creating ever more diverse ethnic and linguistic societies in which language
rights and needs must be taken into account.
76.
While resources available to a State are a factor, Governments must
nevertheless fulfil their obligations to the best of their ability for all linguistic
minorities. Numerous cost-effective methods are available to fulfil language rights,
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