====== International agreements protecting minority languages ======
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===== About covenants protecting minority languages, and how they work ==== 
Many global and transnational agreements, in the form of covenants, exist, aiming to protect minority languages. Usually, these covenants propose a number of measures to improve the situation of minority languages. If a nation decides to ratify such a covenant, it commits itself to carrying out the measures proposed. 

To determine whether a nation in fact carries out these measures, the nation has to report about it to a committee every few years. This report is then judged by a committee. If the committee deems the measures taken insufficient, the nation is informed of this. Though it is not proper to ignore the committee's judgement, nations sometimes do.

Though most covenants cannot be enforced, they do have power: because, by ratifying the covenant, a nation makes promises, and may be reminded about keeping or breaking those.

===== Examples of covenants =====
This list of conventions is not exhaustive, but aims to mentions some influential ones.

==== Global covenants: ====

=== Covenants by the United Nations: ===
  * [[http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/DRIPS_en.pdf|Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples]] (2007):
    * protects "indigenous peoples", including education in own language
  * [[https://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/Minorities.aspx|UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities ]] (1992), article 4:
    * Enable and encourage minority language development and education. 
  * [[http://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/ccpr.aspx|International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights]] (1966), article 27:
    * protects "ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities".
  * [[https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-child|Convention on the Rights of the Child]]
    * potects minority language use (Art. 30) and the education of a child's language (Art. 29, c)
   
=== UNESCO's Declarations and Conventions ===
  * [[http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=13179&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html|Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (2001)]]
    * Offers protection for cultural diversity, including language and education thereof. 
    * Adopted unanimously at the General Conference((UNESCO. (2002). //Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity:a vision, a conceptual platform, a pool of ideas for implementation, a new paradigm//. Cultural Diversity Series (1). [[https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000127162]].)). All UNESCO Members States are urged to take the appropriate measurements, facilitate the their application, and to communicate to UNESCO on the developments. 
  * [[http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/en/convention|Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003)]]:
    * Offers protection for: "Intangible Cultural Heritage", including language. 
    * [[http://www.unesco.org/eri/la/convention.asp?KO=17116&language=E&order=alpha|State parties who have ratified the Convention]] are expected to uphold its policies.
 
=== Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)'s recommendations ===
  * [[https://www.osce.org/hcnm/hague-recommendations|The Hague Recommendations Regarding the Education Rights of National Minorities (1996)]]
    * Guidelines to guarantee education rights of national minorities.
    * For the [[https://www.osce.org/participating-states|57 OSCE participating States]]

=== International Labour Organization (ILO)'s convention ===
  * [[http://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:12100:0::NO::P12100_ILO_CODE:C169|Convention Concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries (1989)]]
    * Offers protection for: "indigenous peoples", including language education.
    * [[http://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=1000:11300:0::NO:11300:P11300_INSTRUMENT_ID:312314|23 State parties which have ratified the Convention]] are expected to uphold its policies.