With nearly thirty endangered languages spoken only in Siberia, the region’s once-vibrant linguistic diversity is seriously threatened. This project pooled the resources of the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the UNESCO Moscow Office of Siberia to establish a framework for protecting and reviving these languages.The focal point for the project was a round table held on 27 and 28 October 2005 with the participation of experts in linguistics, ethnology and anthropology, teachers of the native Siberian languages, researchers from Siberian institutions and UNESCO intangible cultural heritage experts. The participants assembled extensive data and worked out basic principles for monitoring and safeguarding the threatened languages of Siberian peoples.

A series of related projects followed the round table, including:

• A bilingual English/Russian database on endangered languages in Siberia,
• A database of ongoing and completed documentation or education projects,
• A DVD entitled ‘Endangered Languages of Indigenous Peoples of Siberia’ to educate the public about this issue and
• An internet portal featuring the new databases, forums and technical information for experts.

Further information is available online at http://lingsib.unesco.ru/en/. The website will continue to disseminate information and serve as a forum for discussion about the safeguarding of endangered Siberian languages