Press Conference on Indigenous Languages: Preservation and Revitalization

Speakers:
Tatjana Degai from Kamchatka, Russian Federation
Amy Kalili from Hawai'i, USA
Grand Chief Edward John from the Tl'azt'en Nation in British Columbia, Canada

At its fourteenth session in April-May 2015, the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues recommended a three-day international expert group meeting on the theme “Indigenous languages: preservation and revitalization (articles 13, 14 and 16 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples)". The recommendation was approved by the UN Economic and Social Council (decision 2015/43). The expert group meeting is taking place at United Nations Headquarters on 19-21 January 2016 and is organized by the Division for Social Policy and Development of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
The meeting will highlight good practices of preservation and revitalization of indigenous languages, including new opportunities brought by information and communication technology. The meeting builds upon the recommendations of the 2008 expert group meeting on indigenous languages as a way to promote intercultural dialogue and affirm indigenous peoples’ identity.