High-Level Dialogue: Indigenous Languages UNESCO / ITU

In the framework of the International Decade, UNESCO, in cooperation with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and in the context of the 2022 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum, will organize a High-level dialogue on 1 June 2022 from 14.00 to 15.30 in Room C1, ITU Tower, in Geneva, Switzerland.  

The event will provide an open space for discussions and sharing of good practices on the promotion of linguistic diversity and multilingualism in cyberspace. A special focus will be placed on the access to multilingual information services, systems, and production of linguistically appropriate e-context for the speakers and signers of Indigenous languages. One of the outputs of the Global Action Plan of the International Decade of Indigenous (no 3) emphasises the importance of creation of favourable conditions for the digital empowerment and capacity building of digital competencies of Indigenous peoples. UN-system wide cooperation and public-private partnerships will be important to realize the capacity building initiatives, but also in promoting advocacy and awareness-raising as advocated in the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). The UNESCO’s Recommendation concerning the Promotion and Use of Multilingualism and Universal Access to Cyberspace, (2003) also provides for additional guidance for language digitization, documentation, and innovation.

In the second part of the event, the agenda will include a closing segment dedicated to the Award Ceremony of the winners of the WSIS Prize on ICTs and Indigenous Languages. This initiative is part of the WSIS Forum 2022 Special Track on ITCs and Indigenous Languages, co-organized by UNESCO, which launched a Hackathon inviting all interested stakeholders to ideate and create ICT solutions that contribute to the intergenerational transmission, preservation, revitalization, and promotion of Indigenous languages.

The High-level dialogue scheduled to take place on 1 June 2022 within WSIS Forum 2022, will primarily target Member States, Indigenous Peoples organizations, the UN system, civil society, researchers, digital activists, and representatives from the private sector. A global social media campaign will be carried out in conjunction with the high-level dialogue, to increase awareness about the International Decade and the WSIS Forum multi-stakeholder platform.