Many transnational agreements include the protection (regarding some aspects) of regional or minority languages. 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.

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

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

• Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007):
  • protects “indigenous peoples”, including education in own language
• 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.
• International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (1966), article 27:
  • protects “ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities”.
• Convention on the Rights of the Child
  • potects minority language use (Art. 30) and the education of a child's language (Art. 29, c)

• Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (2001)
  • Offers protection for cultural diversity, including language and education thereof.
  • Adopted unanimously at the General Conference¹⁾. All UNESCO Members States are urged to take the appropriate measurements, facilitate the their application, and to communicate to UNESCO on the developments.
• Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003):
  • Offers protection for: “Intangible Cultural Heritage”, including language.
  • State parties who have ratified the Convention are expected to uphold its policies.

• The Hague Recommendations Regarding the Education Rights of National Minorities (1996)
  • Guidelines to guarantee education rights of national minorities.
  • For the 57 OSCE participating States

• Convention Concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries (1989)
  • Offers protection for: “indigenous peoples”, including language education.
  • 23 State parties which have ratified the Convention are expected to uphold its policies.