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UN EXPERT WARNS OF DECLINE IN MINORITY LANGUAGES Minority languages worldwide are disappearing fast and not enough is done to preserve them. By
Kanaga Raja Minority languages are declining at a worrying rate in all regions, and that decline reflects a process of language loss which is almost irreversible, the United Nations Independent Expert on minority issues said. In a report presented at the recent twenty-second session of the Human Rights Council, rights expert Ms Rita Izsak said that in some cases, the decline is due to factors such as globalisation and processes of assimilation and cultural dilution. In many cases, however, "the disappearance of minority languages is a failure of protection of the rights of minority communities who wish to maintain their languages, as well as a tragedy for a nation's cultural and linguistic heritage and diversity." "A lack of recognition and constitutional and legal protection of linguistic minority rights is often a contributing factor to the decline," she stressed. "In many instances, not enough has been done to support and promote a minority language and its users, and the provisions of the 1992 Declaration on Minorities have not been implemented in practice." In presenting her report at the Council in March, Ms Izsak said: "For linguistic minorities, language is a central element and expression of their identity and of key importance in the preservation of group identity. Unfortunately, significant challenges are faced by minorities in all regions who speak minority languages and wish to maintain and use them in public and private life." She stressed that historical factors such as colonialism have had a huge global impact on languages, resulting in the marginalisation of and a rapid decline in the use of indigenous and minority languages which were often seen as backwards, a barrier to colonial hegemony, or as slowing national development. "It can also be argued that today globalisation, the growth of the Internet and web-based information is having a direct and detrimental impact on minority languages and linguistic diversity, as global communications and marketplaces require global understanding." Ms Izsak noted that the decline in numbers of language speakers may be due to a combination of elements, including as a result of a decline in community numbers, relocation, resettlement, cultural dilution or environmental factors. "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." In her report, Ms Izsak cited the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as identifying more than 6,000 languages spoken globally, most of which can be considered minority languages. "For minorities, language is a central element and expression of their identity and of key importance in the preservation of group identity," she said, adding that language is often particularly important to non-dominant communities seeking to maintain their distinct group and cultural identity, sometimes under conditions of marginalisation, exclusion and discrimination. "Historical factors such as colonialism have had a huge global impact on languages, resulting in the marginalisation of indigenous and minority languages and a rapid decline in their use," said the independent expert, observing that the introduction of colonial languages in Africa, Asia and the Americas initiated the marginalisation of native and minority languages. "Colonial languages were promoted in education, administration, political life and communications. Minority and indigenous languages were often seen as backwards, a barrier to colonial hegemony, or as slowing national development." A common problem faced by minorities is that minority languages are frequently not used in national or local administration or as the language of instruction in schools. Consequently, those belonging to minorities may face barriers to their full participation in public life and children from minorities may be disadvantaged in education from an early age. While accurate and detailed disaggregated data are scarce in most countries, evidence suggests that those belonging to linguistic minorities are at greater risk of experiencing poor socioeconomic indicators relative to majority populations, poorer educational access and worse education outcomes, and consequently lower incomes and disproportionate levels of poverty. The independent expert said that minorities benefit immensely from proficiency in the official State or national languages, which enables them to integrate fully into and contribute to all aspects of society and enjoy the opportunities available to all. Without such proficiency, minorities face severe barriers to their full participation in cultural, economic, political and social life. They may, for example, face barriers in gaining access to labour markets on the basis of their language skills or in establishing business enterprises. In terms of social life, minorities may be restricted in their interactions outside their own communities and consequently in their possibility to engage fully in the social and cultural life of the nation. Minority language rights and language use have frequently been a source of tensions, both between and within States. Proponents of linguistic rights have sometimes been associated with secessionist movements or have been seen as a threat to the integrity or unity of a State. "Fulfilling the rights of minorities, including their language rights, is an essential means to prevent tensions from emerging and is a key element of good governance and conflict prevention," said the rights expert. "The minority rights principles of non-discrimination, equality, participation and consultation must be respected, including with respect to language, to ensure that the issues and views of minorities are taken into account and their needs are adequately addressed." 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, Ms Izsak noted, citing in this respect the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the 1992 Declaration on Minorities. In the regional context, protection of the rights of linguistic minorities via regional standards is well developed in Europe, she added, pointing to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities as examples. "Despite strong regional standards, implementation continues to be poor in many countries," she however said. "In other regional contexts, regional standards are weaker and monitoring of State compliance with human rights standards is less rigorous," she said, noting that more than 2,000 languages are spoken in Africa, yet there is no regional standard specifically devoted to language rights or minority languages. In the Asian and Middle East contexts, she said that despite some positive provisions, measures to strengthen regional standards are needed. On 18 November 2012, member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) adopted the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration. Every person is entitled to the rights set out in the Declaration without distinction of any kind, including language. "However, while there are provisions for the rights of vulnerable and marginalised groups, and the Declaration affirms economic, social 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." 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 phenomenon of minority language decline constitutes an urgent global challenge, the independent expert underlined, citing the UNESCO Endangered Languages Programme as warning that half of the world's estimated 6,000 plus languages will likely die out by the end of the century. 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. "While over 20 languages are spoken in Cambodia, UNESCO has warned that 19 Cambodian languages are at risk of extinction over the coming decades. 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," said Ms Izsak. "The lack of domestic legal protection for minority languages in many regions remains a major concern," she said, adding that legal recognition and legislative protection of minority languages create legal safeguards and a requirement for policy and programme measures to address the issues of linguistic minorities, and often result in institutional attention. "Lack of such recognition and legal protections results in an environment where there is little or no formal legal commitment to promoting and protecting minority languages or the rights of linguistic minorities other than those required by international law." In such situations, she added, minority languages may remain largely in the private domain in terms of language use, transmission and education. Frequently, even where minority languages are officially recognised and legal provisions exist, this does not result in implementation of rights in practice. The independent expert also said that restrictions on minority languages in the field of education are particularly sensitive and can be the cause of grievances. Where official State languages are the only languages used in schools, minority children whose first language is their minority language are placed at a disadvantage from the earliest years of school, since they are often less proficient in the State language and are likely to fall behind. Minorities have the right to enjoy media in their own language and establish their own media. Nevertheless, restrictions on the free establishment and functioning of media in minority languages have been witnessed in a number of countries, said Ms Izsak. "For minority communities, the right to media in their language and appropriate to their cultural identity is particularly important and a vital vehicle for the preservation and transmission of minority cultures. Any unreasonable prohibition or restrictions of such rights in public or in private media could constitute a violation of minority rights and freedom of expression." The independent expert also pointed to the emerging issue 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 marginalised as other population groups take advantage of online opportunities and marketplaces, she warned. Nevertheless, she added, 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. – Third World Network Features. -ends-
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