International Year of Indigenous Languages


The International Year of Indigenous Languages is a United Nations observance in 2019 that aims to raise awareness of the consequences of the endangerment of Indigenous languages across the world, with an aim to establish a link between language, development, peace, and reconciliation.

History

On 19 December 2016 the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2019 as the International Year of Indigenous Languages based on a resolution of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. The General Assembly resolution requested the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as the lead UN agency for coordination of the year.

Aims

The International Year of Indigenous Languages aims to focus attention on the risks confronting indigenous languages, especially those significant for development, reconciliation, good governance and peace building. It aims to improve quality of life, wider international cooperation and visibility and strengthened intercultural dialogue to reaffirm the continuity of indigenous languages and cultures.
The year plans to carry out activities which will take form in the following three thematic areas, encompassing both the 2010 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Involvement in the year is available to indigenous peoples, UN system organisations, countries, academia, public and private bodies and the media.
The year has five main intervention areas:
  1. Increasing understanding, reconciliation and international cooperation
  2. Creation of favourable conditions for knowledge-sharing and dissemination of good practices with regard to indigenous languages
  3. Integration of indigenous languages into standard-setting
  4. Empowerment through capacity-building
  5. Growth and development through elaboration of new knowledge