March 2005

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REPORT ON LINGUISTIC DISCRIMINATION SUBMITTED TO THE UN

March 2005 — The French Committee of the European Bureau for Lesser Used Languages (EBLUL) presented on 23 February a “Report on the linguistic and cultural discrimination against persons belonging to groups or minorities in France” before the Committee for the UN Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD).

The report, presented on the occasion of the 66th Session of the CERD, stresses the lack of recognition for diversity by France, illustrated by its failure to ratify the European Charter on Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML), and the negative reaction to the recommendations by the European Parliament and by the Council of Europe.

Moreover, the report is quite critical with the French government and the National Assembly and it remarks the “contradictions” of the French government, such as the ones arisen by the official declarations by the Head of State or by his Ministers, who say “they support language and cultural diversity in the world”, but they do not endorse the Council of Europe’s conventions on the rights of minorities and on regional or minority languages. Actually, the report outlines that, according to a survey carried out in 1994, 77% of the population wanted France to ratify the ECRML. In April 2000 this figure had raised up to 82%.

The Regional Council of Brittany, represented by its vice-president Kristian Guyonvarc’h, gave also his support to the French Committee of EBLUL, urging the French State to recognize finally its regional and minority languages.

Apart from providing complete information on the situation of the media, education, and public and social life in terms of linguistic diversity, the report concludes that “the French system is still based on the refusal to acknowledge the diversity of language and cultural groups that make up the French State”, and it urges France to halt any hindrance to the use of regional or minority languages.

More information can be found in the report (see the link below).