UNESCO Launches Global Roadmap on Multilingualism in the Digital Era

Today, over 7,000 languages are spoken worldwide, but only 1,000 are online. This digital imbalance not only limits access to education, health, and employment opportunities, but also weakens cultural identity and social cohesion. As AI becomes the backbone of public services, education, and the future of work, ensuring linguistic inclusion is now a matter of human rights and social justice.

UNESCO has long championed linguistic diversity as a pillar of cultural and digital inclusion. Building on the Recommendation concerning the Promotion and Use of Multilingualism and Universal Access to Cyberspace (2003), the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (2021) , and the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022-2032) , the new Roadmap provides a comprehensive framework to promote equitable access to digital spaces and ensure that all languages can thrive online.

The Roadmap was developed by a diverse group of experts with the support of a global consultation, which gathered over 100 responses from 53 countries across governments, academia, civil society, language communities, and the tech sector. Building on this collaboration, UNESCO will now prepare an Action Plan outlining concrete steps, recommended actions, and a clear path for effective implementation and monitoring.

The launch of the Roadmap marks a significant milestone in promoting inclusive digital futures, aligning with the Summit's vision of social justice, equality, and sustainable development. With it, UNESCO reaffirms its commitment to safeguarding linguistic diversity as a driver of human dignity, inclusion, and peace.