The Catalan National Assembly has engaged in the 17th session of the United Nation’s Forum on Minority Issues on the representation and self-representation of minorities in public spaces and discourses.
The Catalan National Assembly (ANC) has been registered in the 17th session of the United Nations Forum on Minority Issues, held on November 28-29th, 2024, in Geneva. The organisation has called on the UN authorities to ensure that Spanish authorities comply with international standards and their obligations regarding minority language protection in education, and to comply with the Charter as per the recommendations of the experts.
Assemblea submitted an oral intervention by the board member Josep Punga to bring attention to the systemic challenges faced by Catalan speakers. He denounced sustained judicial interference and discriminatory measures threatening the survival of the Catalan language, particularly in educational settings, where its usage among youths is rapidly declining.
Mr. Punga emphasized the vital role of linguistic rights in fostering equality and inclusion. Drawing on Catalonia’s successful language immersion system in education, he showcased it as a model of integration and union. However, he condemned persistent judicial and political attacks targeting this system, which undermine linguistic rights and endanger the survival of the Catalan language in education and public life.
Citing the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and recent concerns raised by the UN and European bodies, Mr. Punga called for the Spanish government to adhere to its international obligations and urged UN authorities to act decisively to protect the linguistic rights of Catalan speakers and ensure compliance with expert recommendations. He underscored the urgent need to uphold linguistic rights and stressed the critical role of Catalonia’s successful immersion school system in fostering social cohesion and bilingual proficiency in Catalan and Spanish.
Assemblea also highlighted findings from international experts, including the former UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, who has expressed deep concerns about the Spanish authorities’ actions. Therefore, the Catalan National Assembly calls for robust measures from the UN to ensure that Spain complies with its international obligations to protect minority rights and linguistic diversity.
Assemblea remains steadfast in its commitment to defending the Catalan people’s right to self-determination and the preservation of their cultural and linguistic identity. For this reason, the ANC regularly takes part in international human rights meetings and forums as part of its international advocacy actions, and denounces violations of rights by Spanish institutions against the people of Catalonia.
You can find the recorded intervention in our YouTube channel: