On the 18th December 2019, the United Nations proclaimed an International Decade of Indigenous Languages to be held from 2022 to 2032, after a recommendation frmo the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and as a result of the IYIL2019 - International Year of Indigenous Languages held on 2019.

This Decade will provide a common framework to draw attention to the critical loss of indigenous languages and the urgent need to preserve, revitalize and promote Indigenous languages and take urgent steps at the national and international levels.

The celebration of this Decade seeks to achieve the following objectives:

• Protection and promotion of indigenous languages
• Improving the quality of life of speakers of indigenous languages
• Contributing to the objectives established in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
• Contributing to the goals set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
• Strengthening and reinforcing the numerous normative instruments adopted by the international community that include specific provisions to promote and protect languages

Forty percent of the estimated 6,700 languages spoken in the world are in danger of disappearing. The fact that most of them are indigenous languages endangers the cultures and knowledge systems to which they belong.

Indigenous communities are often isolated both politically and socially in the countries in which they live, because of the geographic location of their communities, and their separate histories, cultures, languages and traditions. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the marginalization of indigenous people worldwide, which has had a negative impact on global linguistic diversity. However, indigenous people are not only leaders in environmental protection, but their languages represent complex knowledge and communication systems and should be recognized as a strategic national resource for sustainable development, peace building and reconciliation.

They foster and promote unique local cultures, customs and values that have endured for thousands of years, and indigenous languages add to the rich tapestry of global cultural diversity. Without them, the world would undoubtedly be a poorer place.

To help achieve its objectives, a Strategic Plan was published. This report, the Global Action Plan of the IDIL2022-2032, outlines the main actions for the decade and guides the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all the activities to be carried out. For more information visit https://es.unesco.org/idil2022-2032/globalactionplan

Source: https://es.idil2022-2032.org/about-2022-2032/

On December 13th 2022, the International Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022-2032 was presented at a High-level Celebration Event, which brought more than 700 participants to UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris. Over 2,300 people followed the celebration online from every region of the world.

The event gave participants a platform to tell their stories, share best practices, and voice their commitments to Indigenous issues and global linguistic rights. Furthermore, it constituted fertile ground on which to foster lasting relationships and build familiarity and trust between the various stakeholders in this Decade, including Indigenous Peoples’ organizations, UN system entities, and members of the private sector.

The full event can be viewed on this website.

Registration. If you or your group would like to collaborate as a participating entity you can register on this web page: https://idil.anmo.ovh/registration/

Information. Updated information on the Decade can be found on the Decade's website: www.idil2022-2032.org

Contact: UNESCO's International Decade of Indigenous Languages Secretariat - indigenous.languages@unesco.org

Due to the Decade of Indigenous Languages, the UNESCO Chair on World Language Heritage and Garabide have created content.
On the one hand, the booklet entitled Hizkuntza indigenak Ama Lurra Zaintzen (Indigenous languages taking care of Mother Earth), which collects stories from different communities around the world, both in indigenous languages and in Basque.

On the other hand, we also created the indigenous calendar 2022-2023.