Increasingly, information and knowledge are key determinants of wealth creation, social transformation and human development. Language is the primary vector for communicating knowledge and traditions, thus the opportunity to use one’s language on global information networks such as the Internet will determine the extent to which one can participate in emerging knowledge societies.

However thousands of languages worldwide are absent from Internet content and there are no tools for creating or translating information into these excluded tongues. The way how one accesses Internet sites through domain names is also pincipally limited to the use of Latin script.

Huge sections of the world’s population are thus constrained in enjoying the full benefits of technological advances and obtaining information essential to their wellbeing and development. Unchecked, this will contribute to a loss of cultural diversity on information networks and a widening of existing socio-economic inequalities.

By supporting the development of multilingual cyberspace, UNESCO promotes wider and more equitable access to information networks and at the same time offers possibilities through ICT for the preservation of endangered languages.

Cultural Diversity and Multilingualism

Local Content

Multilingual Tools and Products

Standardisation and Adaptation of Computer Systems

Translation

24-05-2011 (Paris) 

Towards UNESCO guidelines on language policies

18-02-2011 (Paris) 

Focus on new information technologies for International Mother Language Day

11-10-2010 (Vilnius) 

Strengthening multilingualism in cyberspace

04-03-2010 (Paris) 

UNESCO releases new publication on linguistic diversity in the Internet

10-12-2009 (Paris) 

UNESCO and ICANN sign partnership agreement to promote linguistic diversity on Internet

29-05-2009 (Shanghai) 

Planning of online platform for language learning takes shape

26-05-2009 (Ahmedpur East) 

The first Urdu language e-edition of freedom of expression newsletter launched with UNESCO’s support

23-04-2009 (Beijing) 

Open Training Platform to become a hub for Cyber Network for Learning Languages