Today, 24 September, in Brussels, Robert Dunbar, member in respect of the United Kingdom of the Committee of Experts of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages participated in a roundtable, entitled Pillars of diversity: Our linguistic heritage shapes Europe, organised by the Intergroup on Traditional Minorities, National Communities and Languages of the European Parliament. 

The roundtable, which also included a representative of the European Commission, as well as representatives of national minority associations, aimed at raising awareness of the increased need of protecting and promoting regional and minority languages. In this context, the importance of the Language Charter was highlighted. In his intervention Robert Dunbar called for more ratification of the Charter, pointing out the need of not only strengthening existing commitments, but also covering more regional or minority languages spoken in Europe. 

The event was organised as part of a series of events in Brussels (Belgium) on the occasion of the European Day of Languages, was attended, among others, by members of the European Parliament, as well as of national minority and minority language speakers’ associations and representatives of minority communities.