Paris, February 21 (QNA) - HE President of the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Qatar's Permanent Delegate to the Organization Dr. Nasser bin Hamad Al Hanzab affirmed that education in the mother tongue constitutes a fundamental pillar for improving academic achievement, enhancing learners' self-confidence, and enabling them to integrate and actively participate in building more inclusive societies.

In a speech delivered during an event held at UNESCO headquarters on the occasion of International Mother Language Day, observed annually on February 21, His Excellency explained that promoting multilingualism contributes to consolidating the values of mutual respect, openness, and understanding among peoples. He noted that Member States, with UNESCO's support, are working to adopt policies that promote the integration of mother languages into education systems, ensuring the participation of all languages in knowledge exchange and in achieving sustainable development and peace.

HE the President of UNESCO's Executive Board stressed that despite these international efforts, many of the world's languages remain endangered, representing a profound loss to humanity given the knowledge, traditions, and deeply rooted cultures they embody.

International Mother Language Day, proclaimed by UNESCO in 1999 and adopted by the United Nations in 2002, aims to highlight the importance of linguistic diversity and its pivotal role in education and culture, as well as in strengthening social cohesion.

It also serves as recognition of the richness of global linguistic heritage and a reminder of the need to protect languages as pillars of identity and as means of transmitting knowledge and traditions across generations.

The Day also commemorates students who sacrificed their lives defending their right to speak their mother tongue, underscoring the central role of youth in safeguarding languages and protecting cultural heritage.

UNESCO has selected the theme

"Youth Voices in Multilingual Education" for this year's celebration, in light of the profound transformations witnessed in the linguistic landscape in recent years due to increased migration, rapid technological advancement, and growing recognition of the cognitive, social, and economic benefits of multilingualism.

Youth play a pivotal role in this process by advocating for and revitalizing languages, producing diverse digital content, and harnessing technology to highlight and strengthen linguistic diversity.

According to the United Nations, one language disappears every two weeks, taking with it a complete cultural and intellectual heritage. UNESCO estimates that there are around 8,324 spoken and signed languages worldwide, with nearly 7,000 still in use. However, only a few hundred have a real presence in education systems and the public sphere, and fewer than 100 languages are used in the digital world.

In this context, UNESCO continues to celebrate other world languages. World Arabic Language Day is observed annually on December 18, and the Organization recently proclaimed February 9 as World Greek Language Day, affirming the historical and cultural role of these languages and their contribution to fostering dialogue among civilizations. According to UNESCO estimates, more than 400 million people worldwide speak Arabic.

On this occasion, UNESCO called for renewed global commitment to protecting, promoting, and celebrating languages to ensure their continuity and transmission to future generations, thereby enriching human societies and strengthening cultural diversity. (QNA)