Language Rights of Linguistic Minorities: A Practical Guide for Implementation

The UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues, presented her annual report to the United Nations Human Rights Council focusing on the challenges and rights of linguistic minorities. They include restrictions on the opportunities available to linguistic minorities to learn and receive education for their children in minority languages, as well as limitations on the use of minority languages in public life and the media. The guide aims to serve as a practical tool to assist policymakers and right holders to have a better understanding of linguistic rights as well as to provide best practices that could be replicated in different contexts. It is aimed to assist in the efforts to achieve the necessary balance between a state’s official language or languages, and its obligations to use or respect the language preferences of linguistic minorities. Protection and promotion of language rights can also help to preserve the world’s linguistic diversity.

Formal education, Non-formal education, Training of Professional Groups

FE: Secondary and high school, FE: Primary school, NFE: Communities, TP: Teachers, TP: Social workers, TP: Public officials, TP: NGOs

Freedom from discrimination, Right to culture, Right to education, Human rights-based approach, Indigenous peoples’ rights, Minority Rights