French State Found Guilty of Neglect of Basque Language

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Thursday October 09, 2008 17:36 by Mac Gall - Irish Basque Committees (Dublin) dublinbasque at gmail dot com

United Nations Criticices French State Policy Towards Minority Languages

United Nations language rights body asks French state to change its policy and practice towards the Basque language and to assist its speakers through facilitating teaching and broadcasting in the languages.

In particular, the U.N. Commission on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, under articles 16 and 17 of the Covenant of the same title, stated its concerns with regard to the following articles in the UN charter on the rights of minority languages:
"29. The Committee remains concerned about the lack of official recognition of minorities within the territory of the party (the French State -- DIBC). With specific regard to cultural rights, the Committee further notes with concern that some of these rights are not respected -- such as the right to use a minority language, which can only be exercised in community with other members of the minority group."

"30. The Committee notes with concern that the State party (the French State -- DIBC) has not made sufficient efforts in the field of preservation and promotion of regional and minority languages and cultural heritage. The Committee also notes that the absence of formal recognition of regional and minority languages has contributed to the constant decline in the number of speakers of such languages."

"49. The Committee, while taking note that the recognition of minority groups or collective rights is considered by the (the French State -- DIBC) to be incompatible with its Constitution (statement made by the French State -- DIBC) wishes to reiterate that the principles of equality before the law and prohibition of discrimination are not always adequate to ensure the equal and effective enjoyment of human rights, in particular economic, social and cultural rights, by people belonging to minority groups.

"The Committee therefore recommends that (the French State -- DIBC) consider reviewing its position with regard to the recognition of minorities under the Constitution and recognise officially the need to protect officially the cultural diversity of all minority groups under the jurisdiction of (the French State -- DIBC), in accordance with provisions of Article 15."

The Committee went on to recommend that the French state fund the teaching of minority languages (including Euskara) and fund television radio and TV programmes in such languages.

"The French state has an assimilationist attitude to the Basque and languages other than French spoken within the state", stated a spokesperson for the Dublin branch of the Irish Basque Committees. "It tried to claim that it had complied with some of the requirements of the charter but Basque language organisations within Iparralde (the North Country -- i.e. Basque region under French administration) countered these claims effectively. The French state then tried to defend its position but the United Nations Commission on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has asked them to go back to the drawing board", continued the spokesperson. "The French state is being called to account for years of neglect and obstruction of the Basque language."
(on-line copy of the newsletter of the Basque language source of this report available from [email protected] in English and other languages).