In Mexico, UNESCO and the international community will discuss the steps towards the International Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022 – 2032

By India Education Diary Bureau Admin On Feb 12, 2020

On February 27 and 28, Mexico will receive the international community in the High Level event “Building a Decade of Actions for Indigenous Languages” in which a comprehensive review of the results, lessons learned and the impact of the International Year of Indigenous Languages 2019 (AILI2019) will be carried out, in order to identify the key milestones for the International Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022-2032.

Audrey Azoulay, General Director of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), will inaugurate the preparatory work for the Global Plan of Action of the Decade that will be developed at Los Pinos Cultural Complex, in Mexico City, in parallel to the International Congress of Languages at Risk organized by the National Institute of Indigenous Languages (INALI).

In the discussions of the High Level event “Building a Decade of Actions for Indigenous Languages”, it is expected the participation of representatives of local, national and international governments, organizations and indigenous institutions. For example, Irma Pineda, representative of Mexico to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues; Yalitza Aparicio, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador; and Liu Zhenmin, General Secretary Deputy for Economic and Social Affairs, on behalf of António Guterres, General Secretary of the United Nations.

On December 18, 2019, the General Assembly of the United Nations, after recognizing the need to continue and deepen the work and strategies undertaken during the AILI2019, proclaimed the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (Ref .: A / C.3 /74/L.19/Rev.1). Through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and INALI, the State of Mexico has joined forces with UNESCO to initiate the processes of preparation and transition that will require the work of the Decade, in favor of linguistic diversity.

This exercise reaffirms the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity to create sustainable societies, to face challenges such as climate change, reduce the digital gap and social inequalities, and its results will be reflected in Los Pinos International Declaration of Results.

Registration to participate in the High Level Event discussions can be done at: https://es.unesco.org/events/evento-alto-nivel-hacer-decada-accion-lenguas-indigenas. The Concept Note and other associated documents are available at the same address.

International Congress on Languages at Risk

In the context of the closing of the AILI2019, INALI will hold the International Congress of Languages at Risk, on February 25 and 26, also at Los Pinos Cultural Center, as a plural space for analysis, discussion and dialogue, as well as a space to generate proposals around the global perspectives and challenges facing the revitalization and safeguarding of endangered languages worldwide.

In this dialogue will be present linguists, activists, indigenous leaders and intellectuals and public officials; all of them, key actors in the construction of new models of multilingual and multicultural societies.