Opening Session: Digital Inclusion for All Languages: UNESCO’s Commitment to Multilingual Futures
This opening session presents UNESCO’s work on multilingualism and linguistic diversity in the digital space, with a particular focus on advancing equitable access to information and communication technologies for all language communities. It will highlight UNESCO’s efforts within the framework of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022–2032), which aims to protect, revitalize, and promote Indigenous languages worldwide, including through strengthened digital inclusion.
Recent initiatives include a Policy Brief co-developed with ICANN on Universal Acceptance, which ensures that domain names and email addresses in any script or language function seamlessly across the global Internet; a practical toolkit for multilingual digital services, developed from the experience of the Welsh Government, offering actionable guidance for public administrations designing inclusive, multilingual-by-default digital ecosystems; and the Plan of Actions accompanying UNESCO’s Global Roadmap for Multilingualism in the Digital Era, which outlines strategic priorities and concrete steps toward a more linguistically diverse digital environment.
Together, these contributions reflect UNESCO’s commitment to ensuring that all languages can fully participate in the digital world.