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Addressee: Member States, IPOs, UN agencies, SPFII and UNPFII
Full Text
Considering that 2008 is the International Year of Languages, the Permanent Forum recommends holding an expert group meeting on indigenous languages that will call upon States, the United Nations system and indigenous peoples and their organizations to consider the following elements:(a)Working towards concrete actions and legislative development aimed at eliminating discrimination against the current use of indigenous languages;(b)Developing programmes aimed at promoting the empowerment of indigenous languages through all mediums, including radio and television;(c)Supporting and increasing the number of centres for the study of indigenous languages;(d)Financing and supporting schemes for special projects that are formulated by indigenous peoples and are focused on revitalization and rescue of threatened languages;(e) Designing, in consultation with indigenous peoples and the Permanent Forum, the organization of a world conference on linguistic diversity, indigenous languages, identity and education, as a contribution to the programme of the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People.
Responses
The General Assembly, in its resolution 61/266 of 16 May 2007, proclaimed the year 2008 International Year of Languages. Responding to the need for concrete public policies for the protection and promotion of indigenous languages, the Permanent Forum, at its sixth session, recommended to the Economic and Social Council the holding of an international expert group meeting on indigenous languages (E/2007/43, chap. I, sect. B, para. 72). Pursuant to the recommendation of the Forum, the Council, by its decision 2007/244 of 25 July 2007, decided to authorize such a meeting. The expert group meeting, which was held at United Nations Headquarters from 8 to 10 January 2008, was attended by the following Forum members: Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Hassan Id Balkassm, Carlos Mamani Condori, Paimaneh Hasteh and Tonya Gonella Frichner, as well as seven indigenous experts, and observers for United Nations organizations, States, non-governmental organizations and indigenous peoples’ organizations. The meeting adopted significant recommendations brought to the attention of the Forum in the report of the meeting (E/C.19/2008/3).
Final Report of UNPFII Session 6 (2007)
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