Linguistic Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Authors:

Pages: 225-229
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54664/NRIB2337

Abstract:

Language plays an essential role in one’s ability to access the life opportunities offered by a society through employment, healthcare, jurisprudence, voting, education, media, etc. Linguistic rights have been designed under international human rights law to address the right to choose the language or languages for communication while accessing such opportunities. Even so, the individually held linguistic right, which evolves from general individual human rights, such as the right to freedom of expression, to privacy, to a fair trial, etc., comes with less consequences as compared to the collective linguistic rights of groups. This paper, while exploring how international law deals with linguistic rights generally, shall focus on the linguistic rights of indigenous peoples. By so doing, the author discusses various international legal instruments which envisage collective linguistic rights of indigenous peoples, highlights the challenges faced by indigenous peoples with regards to such rights, and concludes by suggesting ways by which these challenges can be surmounted.

Keywords:

Linguistic rights, indigenous peoples, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages

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