Excellencies,Distinguished President of the 73rd session of the General Assembly,Distinguished President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia,Distinguished Co-Chairs of the Steering Committee for the organization of the International Year of Indigenous Languages,Distinguished Assistant Director-General for Culture of UNESCO,Indigenous Peoples representatives,Ladies and Gentlemen,
Welcome to today’s event for the launch of the 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages.
I am honored to represent the Secretary-General of the United Nations at this important High-Level event, convened by the President of the 73rd session of the General Assembly.
This is particularly significant for me, given my capacity as Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and as Senior Official of the United Nations System to coordinate the follow up to the 2014 World Conference on Indigenous Peoples.
Your Excellencies,
There are more than 370 million indigenous peoples in the world. Languages are important: for culture, for identity, and for transmitting heritage and traditions to the next generation.Our language identifies who we are: our values, our vision, our past and our future. For indigenous peoples, their language is integral to their existence and survival as distinct peoples.
Indigenous languages number over 4,000. Through these thousands of languages, indigenous peoples maintain their histories, traditions, memories and traditional knowledge. This is the true wealth of humankind.
An estimated 90 per cent of all languages are believed to be endangered and may become extinct by the turn of the century.
Your Excellencies,
Since its inception in 2000, the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues has drawn our attention to the urgent need to address the imminent loss of indigenous languages. In 2008 and 2016, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs organized two expert group meetings on indigenous languages, as advised by the Permanent Forum, to provide evidence-based analysis and policy recommendations on ensuring the revitalization and strengthening of indigenous languages.
As a follow-up, the General Assembly declared 2019 as the International Year of Indigenous Languages. The aim is, to mobilize urgent action, support and attention to ensure that we do not continue to lose indigenous languages that are part of our common heritage. Traditional knowledge embedded in indigenous languages provides solutions to climate change, addressing the loss of biodiversity and the development of new medicinal techniques.
Your Excellencies,
There are important efforts to revitalize indigenous peoples’ languages around the world, and it is crucial to support these initiatives.
Indigenous peoples have made various efforts to revitalize fluent speaking among indigenous youth. This is being done through primary school programs, virtual dictionaries and phone applications, to rebuild their indigenous languages.
Nonetheless, concrete action is needed by Member States, in partnership with indigenous peoples, to support revitalization, use, protection, preservation and transmission of indigenous histories, languages, oral traditions, philosophies, writing systems and literatures.
This needs to be done from the perspective of indigenous peoples to ensure it strengthens their cultures, languages and identity, and is included in national development plans and supported by the necessary financial resource allocations.
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples opens the door to enormous opportunities for advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.
The outcome document of the 2014 World Conference on Indigenous Peoples further reaffirms the provisions of the UN Declaration, which constitutes the minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of the indigenous peoples of the world.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Indigenous peoples suffer discrimination and social exclusion. The ongoing process of globalization has often resulted in dispossessing and displacing indigenous peoples from their ancestral lands and territories, which has served to further threaten indigenous cultures.
The United Nations welcomes close cooperation with indigenous peoples, and has established three mechanisms to advise and orient our efforts to address their priorities and concerns.
The United Nations will continue providing support to achieve the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Our efforts will continue through the implementation of the system wide-action plan on the rights of indigenous peoples, which was prepared under the leadership of Department of Economic and Social Affairs, as requested at the 2014 World Conference on Indigenous Peoples.
The International Year of Indigenous Languages reminds us that promoting an equitable and quality education for indigenous peoples requires support for indigenous languages.
Enabling indigenous education in their languages will not only contribute to achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4, but will also positively impact the attainment of all SDGs relating to indigenous peoples.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let us celebrate the richness of indigenous languages by taking concrete and sustainable measures to support, promote and strengthen indigenous peoples’ languages.
The United Nations stands ready to provide our support in making the International Year of Indigenous Languages a success!
Thank you for your attention.
Welcome to today’s event for the launch of the 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages.
I am honored to represent the Secretary-General of the United Nations at this important High-Level event, convened by the President of the 73rd session of the General Assembly.
This is particularly significant for me, given my capacity as Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and as Senior Official of the United Nations System to coordinate the follow up to the 2014 World Conference on Indigenous Peoples.
Your Excellencies,
There are more than 370 million indigenous peoples in the world. Languages are important: for culture, for identity, and for transmitting heritage and traditions to the next generation.Our language identifies who we are: our values, our vision, our past and our future. For indigenous peoples, their language is integral to their existence and survival as distinct peoples.
Indigenous languages number over 4,000. Through these thousands of languages, indigenous peoples maintain their histories, traditions, memories and traditional knowledge. This is the true wealth of humankind.
An estimated 90 per cent of all languages are believed to be endangered and may become extinct by the turn of the century.
Your Excellencies,
Since its inception in 2000, the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues has drawn our attention to the urgent need to address the imminent loss of indigenous languages. In 2008 and 2016, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs organized two expert group meetings on indigenous languages, as advised by the Permanent Forum, to provide evidence-based analysis and policy recommendations on ensuring the revitalization and strengthening of indigenous languages.
As a follow-up, the General Assembly declared 2019 as the International Year of Indigenous Languages. The aim is, to mobilize urgent action, support and attention to ensure that we do not continue to lose indigenous languages that are part of our common heritage. Traditional knowledge embedded in indigenous languages provides solutions to climate change, addressing the loss of biodiversity and the development of new medicinal techniques.
Your Excellencies,
There are important efforts to revitalize indigenous peoples’ languages around the world, and it is crucial to support these initiatives.
Indigenous peoples have made various efforts to revitalize fluent speaking among indigenous youth. This is being done through primary school programs, virtual dictionaries and phone applications, to rebuild their indigenous languages.
Nonetheless, concrete action is needed by Member States, in partnership with indigenous peoples, to support revitalization, use, protection, preservation and transmission of indigenous histories, languages, oral traditions, philosophies, writing systems and literatures.
This needs to be done from the perspective of indigenous peoples to ensure it strengthens their cultures, languages and identity, and is included in national development plans and supported by the necessary financial resource allocations.
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples opens the door to enormous opportunities for advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.
The outcome document of the 2014 World Conference on Indigenous Peoples further reaffirms the provisions of the UN Declaration, which constitutes the minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of the indigenous peoples of the world.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Indigenous peoples suffer discrimination and social exclusion. The ongoing process of globalization has often resulted in dispossessing and displacing indigenous peoples from their ancestral lands and territories, which has served to further threaten indigenous cultures.
The United Nations welcomes close cooperation with indigenous peoples, and has established three mechanisms to advise and orient our efforts to address their priorities and concerns.
The United Nations will continue providing support to achieve the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Our efforts will continue through the implementation of the system wide-action plan on the rights of indigenous peoples, which was prepared under the leadership of Department of Economic and Social Affairs, as requested at the 2014 World Conference on Indigenous Peoples.
The International Year of Indigenous Languages reminds us that promoting an equitable and quality education for indigenous peoples requires support for indigenous languages.
Enabling indigenous education in their languages will not only contribute to achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4, but will also positively impact the attainment of all SDGs relating to indigenous peoples.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let us celebrate the richness of indigenous languages by taking concrete and sustainable measures to support, promote and strengthen indigenous peoples’ languages.
The United Nations stands ready to provide our support in making the International Year of Indigenous Languages a success!
Thank you for your attention.
File date:
Friday, February 1, 2019