Consultations launched in Eastern Europe and Central Asia on the International Decade of Indigenous Languages

The region of Eastern Europe and Central Asia is linguistically rich and diverse. Yet, many of these languages are at risk of falling into desuetude by the end of this century.

The proclamation of the International Decade by the United Nations General Assembly (A/RES/74/135) is a key outcome of the 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages, and will provide an unprecedented platform for the long-term, joint and coordinated actions to preserve and support these languages.  

The consultative meeting brought together nearly 100 regional stakeholders and observers from 27 countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia and other regions, including Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North America, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Participants included representatives of national governments, indigenous peoples, scholars and experts, who engaged in a constructive dialogue and assessed the situation of indigenous languages in the region. They identified regional-specific priorities, strategic directions and future activities in the area of indigenous languages, to be included in the Global Action Plan of the International Decade.

Among the key thematic considerations, the following three were identified as priority areas:

• Legal recognition and legislation;
• Languages in education; and
• Digital empowerment.

There was also a shared sentiment among indigenous peoples of having been marginalized in decision-making and development processes, which will be addressed in the context of the International Decade by applying the key principles of “centrality of indigenous peoples” and “multistakeholderism”.

The discussions also touched upon the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the indigenous language users in the region, as they lack access to accurate health information and suffer from increased marginalization.

UNESCO, as UN lead agency for the International Decade, in cooperation with UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and The Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), will continue to facilitate the organization of other regional and thematic consultative meetings in 2021, in order to identify specific considerations to be included in the plans over the decade.

Further to the regional consultations, all stakeholders are invited to submit inputs, provide evidence-based data and share good practices, through the online survey for the preparation of the Global Action Plan. Each contribution counts and will inform the strategic framework guiding future actions in the area of indigenous languages worldwide.