====== International treaties - regional or minority languages ======
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===== About covenants protecting minority languages, and how they work ==== 

Many transnational agreements include the protection (regarding some aspects) of regional or minority languages and/or their users. Usually, these covenants propose a number of measures to improve the situation of regional or minority languages and/or their users. If a nation state decides to ratify such a treaty, it commits itself to carrying out the measures proposed. 

On //Mercator's Wiki//, you can find more information on legislation on: 
  * [[general_information:international_legislation|International legislation - regional or minority languages]]
  * [[general_information:sign_language_legislation|International legislation - sign languages]]
  * [[general_information:european_legislation|European legislation - regional or minority languages]]
  * [[general_information:russian_legislation|Russian legislation - regional or minority languages]]  
  * [[general_information:usa_legislation|USA legislation - regional or minority languages]]
 


===== 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.