Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to take resolute and better coordinated action to protect and promote its regional or minority languages, according to a new evaluation report published today by the Council of Europe’s committee of experts of the European Charter for regional or minority languages.
Minority languages absent from education and courts
While welcoming recent efforts, including work on a new draft law on the rights of national minorities, the report concludes that teaching of most minority languages remains largely absent from public education, and that these languages are not used in judicial and administrative proceedings, or in communication with the administrative authorities. The committee, however, positively notes initiatives by the public broadcaster to raise awareness of national minorities and their cultures. It also calls for radio and television programmes to be produced directly in regional or minority languages, in line with the country's commitments under the charter.
The report assesses Bosnia and Herzegovina's implementation of the charter, which has been in force in the country since 2011 and protects 15 regional or minority languages: Albanian, Czech, German, Hungarian, Italian, Ladino, Polish, Romani, Romanian, Ruthenian, Slovak, Slovenian, Turkish, Ukrainian and Yiddish. The committee notes that the country’s complex administrative structure continues to hamper implementation of the charter and reiterates its recommendation to develop a structured national policy and a medium-term strategy, supported by stronger coordination between authorities at all levels and representatives of regional or minority-language speakers. It emphasises the important role national minority councils could play in this respect.
New law welcomed
The committee welcomes the preparation of a new draft law on the rights of national minorities and the launch of consultations with minority representatives, describing this as an important opportunity to align domestic legislation with the charter. It also encourages the authorities to remove numerical thresholds that currently limit the practical use of regional or minority languages and to establish a legal framework that better supports their protection and promotion.
The report finds the continuing absence of most regional or minority languages from the public education system. It highlights persistent shortages of qualified teachers and teaching materials, while recommending that curricula for German, Italian and Turkish -currently taught as foreign languages - better reflect their historical presence and cultural heritage in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The committee also calls for increased, equitable and predictable funding for regional or minority-language-related initiatives.
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The Framework Convention for the protection of national minorities is Europe’s most comprehensive treaty protecting the rights of people belonging to national minorities. It is the first legally binding multilateral instrument devoted to the protection of national minorities worldwide, and its implementation is monitored by an advisory committee composed of independent experts. The treaty entered into force on 1 February 1998 and is now in force in 38 states.
The European Charter for regional or minority languages is the Council of Europe’s convention designed to protect and promote states parties’ traditional regional or minority languages and enable speakers of these languages to use them in both private and public life. Its implementation is monitored by a committee of experts, which is independent. The treaty entered into force on 1 March 1998 and is now in force in 25 states.
