Topic: 2024-Indigenous Languages
Country: Sweden
Delegate Name: Jenna Zaidan
Jenna Zaidan
Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee
Indigenous Languages
Sweden
Mattawan High School
Language is the primary way to communicate culture, traditions, and identity. As a language declines in popularity, the history that comes with it is slowly erased. Indigenous languages specifically are decreasing at an alarming rate. The United Nations estimates that by 2100, “half of known indigenous languages will be extinct.” Considering that indigenous cultures often do not have formal education systems in place to safeguard their cultures, this stat is all the more concerning.
Regarding general indigenous situations, the UN established the Permanent Forum for Indigenous Issues in 2000. This forum was created to specifically address economic and social development and human rights. The UNPFII recommended in 2019 the establishment of an International Decade of Indigenous Languages from 2022-2032. This was formalized by the UN General Assembly, resulting in a Global Action Plan for the decade, focusing on the implementation of policies geared towards protecting indigenous languages. However, the UN was involved in the issue of indigenous language preservation before the establishment of the IDIL, through decrees such as the 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. This document stated that indigenous communities had the right to transmit their culture to future generations as they saw fit, establish their own media, and affirmed that states shall take measures to ensure indigenous people can understand legal and governmental proceedings through translations or otherwise.
Sweden has often been praised for their indigenous politics. Sweden voted in favor of UNDRIP in 2007, but their indigenous-tolerant policies stretch further back. In 1977, the Swedish Parliament officially recognized the Sami people. However, their language did not gain official minority recognition until 2000, when it was recognized along with Finnish, Meänkieli, Romani Chib, and Yiddish. This recognition meant that children were entitled to learn and use these languages in school settings and adults could correspond formally with the government in these languages, rather than the official language of Swedish.
Sweden would support the implementation of international standards for the preservation of indigenous languages. Swedish policies have stated that “everyone is entitled to use their mother tongue” and would like to see this extended past their own borders. This could include efforts to increase the availability of indigenous languages in school curriculums, and the implementation of official government notices and signage in indigenous languages. The delegation from Sweden advocates for increased tolerance and advocacy for indigenous rights regarding language and culture.
