Indigenous Languages: Are They in Danger?
This House of Lords Library Briefing provides information ahead of the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples on 9 August 2019.
The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is marked on 9 August every year. This date commemorates the inaugural session of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations at the United Nations (UN) in 1982. As part of the International Day, the Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues organises an event each year that brings together relevant stakeholders such as UN member states and agencies; indigenous peoples’ organisations; and civil society groups. In 2019, the theme is “indigenous languages”, focusing on the current situation of indigenous languages around the world. The theme coincides with the UN General Assembly designating 2019 as the International Year of Indigenous Languages.