UN International Decade of Indigenous Languages

This text was produced for the Ságastallamin - Telling the Story of Arctic Indigenous Languages exhibition in 2019, and updated in 2020. Read more about the Ságastallamin exhibition.

The International Decade of Indigenous Languages (IDIL2022-2032) is an important event which draws attention to the loss of Indigenous languages and the urgent need to preserve and promote them. The International Decade’s focus is on the human rights of Indigenous language users.

The Los Pinos Declaration [Chapoltepek] – Making a Decade of Action for Indigenous Languages is a strategic roadmap for the International Decade. It sets out the key guiding principles and highlights the expected impact and outcomes for the International Decade. It also identifies methods for enhancing the inclusion and empowerment of Indigenous language users in economic, political, social, and cultural spheres.

UNESCO will be coordinating the implementation of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, in cooperation with other UN agencies and stakeholders.

Globally about 40 percent of the languages spoken in the world are at risk of extinction, and a large share of those are Indigenous languages. In the words of the United Nations, “Indigenous languages add to the rich tapestry of global cultural diversity. Without them, the world would be a poorer place.”

Within the United Nations, there are three mechanisms to work on Indigenous issues:

• Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues,

• Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and

• Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

You can read more about the International Decade of Indigenous languages and the roadmap for the decade: https://bit.ly/33lxrEC