IV. CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS, CONTINUED

CERD

•	Latvia, CERD, A/58/18 (2003) 75 at para. 445.

445. The Committee notes the entry into force in September 2000 of the State Language Law aimed at promoting the Latvian language and better integration of members of ethnic minorities into Latvian society. The Committee is concerned at the possible negative effects of a narrow and strict interpretation of this legislation...

The Committee recommends that the State party ensure that the State Language Law does not result in unnecessary restrictions that may have the effect of creating or perpetuating ethnic discrimination. The Committee calls on the State party to ensure that vulnerable groups, such as prisoners, sick and poor persons, among non-Latvian speakers have the possibility of communicating with the relevant authorities through provision of, if necessary, translation facilities.

•	Norway, CERD, A/58/18 (2003) 79 at para. 479.

479. The Committee is concerned about the shortage of well-qualified interpreters in court proceedings, which may be an obstacle to the enjoyment by non-native speakers of the right to equal treatment before the courts and all other organs administering justice.

The Committee recommends that the State party adopt further measures, in accordance with article 5 (a) of the Convention, to mitigate the current difficulties with regard to interpretation services.

•	France, CERD, A/60/18 (2005) 26 at para. 116.

116. The Committee is concerned that for some local population groups in its overseas communities, the fact that they do not have a full command of French constitutes an obstacle to their enjoyment of their rights, particularly the right to access to justice.

In order to enable all those under the jurisdiction of the State party in its overseas communities to exercise their rights fully, the Committee recommends to the State party that it should take all appropriate steps to ensure that local population groups in overseas communities who do not have a command of French benefit from the services of translators/interpreters, especially in their contacts with the system of justice.

CAT

•	Denmark, CAT, A/57/44 (2002) 37 at para. 72.

72. [The Committee]...notes with satisfaction:

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(b) The circulars of the National Commissioner of Police, prescribing, inter alia, earlier access by family to detainees, mandatory medical examination of all persons placed in a detention cell, and access to a lawyer and an interpreter without delay;

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CRC

•	Greece, CRC, CRC/C/114 (2002) 25 at para.171.

171. The Committee recommends that the State party:

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(d) Ensure respect for all juvenile justice standards including the rights of children during arrest and detention procedures, minimum conditions of detention, the non-restricted rights of appeal and to legal representation, free interpretation where needed and other relevant assistance;

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•	Switzerland, CRC, CRC/C/118 (2002) 78 at paras. 310 and 311.

310. The Committee is concerned at the reservations made by the State party to articles 5, 7, 10, 37 and the four reservations made with regard to article 40, but welcomes the information that the State party is considering the withdrawal of most of these reservations thanks to recent and current revisions of the Constitution and other relevant laws, following a tentative timetable presented during the dialogue. Despite this information, the Committee remains concerned at the rather slow pace of this withdrawal process and even more at the fact that some reservations may not be withdrawn at all, or only in the distant future.

311. In light of the 1993 Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, the Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Expedite as much as possible the process for the withdrawal of the reservations regarding the provision of an interpreter free of charge (article 40(2)(b)(vi)) and use this process to withdraw as soon as possible the reservation to article 5, given the fact that this reservation is, according to the State party, only an interpretative declaration that is not intended to affect the meaning of article 5;

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