Yakutsk call for action

A roadmap towards the World Summit on Multilingualism (2017)

 

PREAMBLE

The 2^nd International Conference on Linguistic and Cultural Diversity in Cyberspace was held in Yakutsk, Russian Federation, from July 12 to July 14, 2011 in the framework of the Russian chairmanship in the UNESCO Information for All Programme. The event was organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO, UNESCO, Russian Committee of the UNESCO Information For All Program, the North-Eastern Federal University, the Interregional Library Cooperation Centre, MAAYA World Network for Linguistic Diversity, and Union Latine.

The Conference which held several working sessions and plenary meetings gathered over 100 participants from more than 30 countries and all continents. It was attended by leaders and experts of intergovernmental and international nongovernmental organizations, government bodies, agencies and institutions of culture, education, research, information and communications, representatives of private sector, civil society and the mass media.

The conference tackled the three major themes dealing with 1- Instruments for language preservation and promotion in cyberspace, 2- Institutes to promote linguistic and cultural diversity, and 3- Creating positive environment for the promotion of linguistic and cultural diversity in cyberspace.

A roadmap towards the World Summit on Multilingualism has been proposed and approved by the participants.

 

I. Achievements since the Lena Resolution (Yakutsk, Russian Federation, 2008)

Lena resolution was adopted at the 1^st conference on Linguistic and cultural diversity held in 2008 proclaimed by the UN the International Year of Languages. It introduced the idea of holding the World Summit on Multilingualism and supported a series of initiatives. Since then, several activities have taken place including the Bamako International Forum on Multilingualism 2009 (BIFM), the creation of the Centre to Advance Multilingualism in Cyberspace under the North-Eastern Federal University (Russian Federation), the development of DILINET project on indicators of linguistic diversity in cyberspace by MAAYA and partners, and the preparation of the 2^nd International Conference on Linguistic and Cultural Diversity in Cyberspace (July 2011, Yakutsk).

 

II. The roadmap to the World Summit on Multilingualism (2017)

We, the participants and organisers of the 2^nd international conference on Linguistic and Cultural Diversity in Cyberspace, inspired by the Lena Resolution and Bamako commitment on universal multilingualism, invite all interested individuals and organisations concerned in linguistic and cultural diversity support and promotion to participate in the preparation of the World Summit on Multilingualism. We therefore propose the following roadmap.

• 2012: Experts meetings and consultations in various regions of the world
  
  
• 2013: Ministerial conference on Multilingualism
   
• 2013: Proposing a draft resolution on the World Summit on Multilingualism to the UNESCO General Conference. Possible creation of an international commission to prepare a Report on multilingualism
  
  
• 2014: Possible adoption of a draft resolution on the World Summit on Multilingualism by the UN General Assembly based on the Report
   
• 2015-2017: Thematic meetings and regional conferences to prepare for the Summit
  
  
• 2017: World Summit on Multilingualism

All the stakeholders (governments, international organisations, private sector, and civil society including the academia and research community) are encouraged to commit themselves in preserving and promoting linguistic and cultural diversity worldwide and invited to contribute to the success of the World Summit on Multilingualism which could lead to the adoption of an international Charter on the governance of linguistic diversity in the world.

In Russian