Abstract:

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) occupies an increasingly instrumental role in facilitating international dialogue and accountability, allowing states to make peer-level recommendations on human rights issues. With 7,000 languages in use today and over 40% of these endangered, minority language rights are relevant across every region of the world. This article investigates the extent to which UPR recommendations are an effective tool in addressing the denial and lack of promotion of minority language rights, centring analysis on Greece. Drawing on doctrinal analysis of relevant international law and desk research on UPR data, the effectiveness of recommendations made to Greece on minority languages is reviewed in relation to their content and state response. Findings suggest that, to some extent, state recommendations are successful in raising linguistic minority issues relevant to the Greek context, however, future recommendations would benefit from having more specific, measurable, and therefore implementable objectives. Furthermore, it is vital to consider the reasons for Greece’s low acceptance rate of recommendations, and it is suggested that continued efforts are made to explore geopolitically sensitive solutions, such as cross-regional collaboration, that could positively influence the state’s responsiveness.