Topic: 2024-Indigenous Languages
Country: United Arab Emirates
Delegate Name: Allison Edwards
Indigenous languages are essential to maintaining cultural identity and tradition. The United Nations recognizes this essential truth and has taken measures to protect indigenous languages. Article 13 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples says that Indigenous people have the right to speak, teach and revitalize their language. Although the UAE doesn’t have any pervasive issues regarding the disappearance of indigenous languages, the prevalence of english is overtaking the arabic language. The Arabic language is central to the Emirati culture and way of life.
The UAE recognizes the issues other nations face with the disappearance of indigenous languages. Though the UAE does not have any recognized Indigenous languages, but greatly values the conservation of Arabic. The UAE has multiple languages spoken such as English, Hindi, Urdu, and Farsi to name a few. The official language of our nation is Arabic. The UAE is committed to keeping the Arabic language alive and thriving. Arabic is central to the culture and identity of the United Arab Emirates. Modern Standard Arabic (also known as MSA) is taught to children through school, but most Emiratis who are native speak Gulf Arabic, which is a dialect similar to countries near the UAE. With the prevalence of English usage and 12 percent of the population being native to the UAE, there is a need to keep the language of Arabic in use.
Currently, the UAE is promoting the use of Arabic in many sectors such as scientific research, politics, and social media. The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre has partnered with prominent space centers to establish Arabic as a means of communication when disseminating scientific material. Furthermore, the government of the UAE recognizes World Arabic Language Day, which brings awareness to the Arabic language among the younger generation. The UAE recommends other delegations to utilize many different sectors to bring awareness to languages.
