Official launch event of the 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2019 as the International Year of Indigenous Languages (Ref.: 71/178) in order to raise global attention on the critical risks confronting indigenous languages and its significance for sustainable development, reconciliation, good governance and peace building. The celebration in 2019 will contribute to the access to, and promotion of, indigenous languages and to a concrete improvement in the lives of indigenous peoples by strengthening the capacities of indigenous language speakers and relevant indigenous peoples’ organizations.

This official launch event is co-organized by UNESCO, UNDESA, and the members of the Steering Committee for organization of the International Year, with the participation of other relevant stakeholders. To be held under the theme “Indigenous languages matter for sustainable development, peace building and reconciliation”, the event will gather high-level governmental representatives, indigenous peoples, civil society, academia, media, information and memory organizations, United Nations agencies, public language harmonization and documentation institutions and private sector. The major objective of the official launch event is to provide a global forum for a constructive debate in which high-level speakers address new paradigms for safeguarding, promoting and providing access to knowledge and information for the indigenous languages’ users.

The official launch event will take place at UNESCO Headquarters (Room II), in Paris, France.