1887
  1. Home
  2. e-Journals
  3. Language Problems and Language Planning
  4. Volume 41, Issue 3
  5. Article
Volume 41, Issue 3
  • ISSN 0272-2690
  • E-ISSN: 1569-9889
USD
Buy:$35.00 + Taxes

Abstract

In September 2015 the United Nations (UN) adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offering an internationally agreed blueprint for economic, environmental and social development. However those most in need and specifically targeted by the SDGs face significant barriers in accessing information and knowledge about the goals and sustainability in a language or medium that can be understood. Drawing on previous research on the UN’s language policy and practice ( McEntee-Atalianis, 2006 , 2015 , 2016 ) and analyses of recent UN reports and resolutions on multilingualism, information policy and practice and the SDGs, this article examines the current status of multilingualism and information transfer within the Organisation. Significant linguistic and digital barriers are identified. It is argued that the UN must plan in more linguistically plural and inclusive ways by developing a involving civil society, public and private sectors in order to facilitate knowledge transfer and participation, thereby ensuring that no one is left behind.

© John Benjamins Publishing Company
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/lplp.00001.mce
2018-02-19
2023-05-31

  • From This Site

    /content/journals/10.1075/lplp.00001.mce
    dcterms_title,dcterms_subject,pub_keyword
    -contentType:Journal -contentType:Contributor -contentType:Concept -contentType:Institution
    10
    5
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. The Basic Education Coalition
    The Basic Education Coalition (2004) Teach a child, transform a nation. Washington, DC: The Basic Education Coalition. www.un-ngls.org/orf/cso/TeachV1.pdf, accessedMay 3, 2016.
     [Google Scholar]
  2. Blommaert, J.
    (2009) Language policy and national identity. In T. Ricento (Ed.), An introduction to language policy: Theory and method (pp.238–254). Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.
     [Google Scholar]
  3. (2010) The sociolinguistics of globalisation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/CBO9780511845307
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511845307 [Google Scholar]
  4. Castells, M.
    (2008) The new public sphere: Global civil society, communication networks, and global governance. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 616, 78–93. doi: 10.1177/0002716207311877
     https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716207311877 [Google Scholar]
  5. Center for Economic and Social Rights
    Center for Economic and Social Rights (2015) Universal rights, differentiated responsibilities: Safeguarding human rights beyond borders to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Human Rights Policy Briefing. www.cesr.org/downloads/CESR_TWN_ETOs_briefing.pdf, accessedFebruary 12 2016.
     [Google Scholar]
  6. Danet, B. & Herring, S.
    (Eds.) (2007) The multilingual internet: Language, culture, and communication online. Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195304794.001.0001
     https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195304794.001.0001 [Google Scholar]
  7. Dolowitz, D. & Marsh, D.
    (2000) Learning from abroad: The role of policy transfer in contemporary policy-making. Governance: An International Journal of Policy and Administration, 13(1), 5–24. doi: 10.1111/0952‑1895.00121
     https://doi.org/10.1111/0952-1895.00121 [Google Scholar]
  8. Fettes, M.
    (2015) Language in the United Nations post-2015 development agenda: Challenges to language policy and planning. Language Problems and Language Planning, 39(3), 298–311. doi: 10.1075/lplp.39.3.06fet
     https://doi.org/10.1075/lplp.39.3.06fet [Google Scholar]
  9. Flammia, M. & Saunders, C.
    (2007) Language as power on the internet. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 58, 1899–1903. doi: 10.1002/asi.20659
     https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.20659 [Google Scholar]
  10. Gazarian, J.
    (1992) Language problems in international organizations. In K. Müller (Ed.), Language as barrier and bridge (pp.11–15). Lanham, MD: University Press of America.
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Graham, M.
    (2011) Time machines and virtual portals: The spatialities of the digital divide. Progress in Development Studies, 11(3), 211–227. doi: 10.1177/146499341001100303
     https://doi.org/10.1177/146499341001100303 [Google Scholar]
  12. Mackey, W. F.
    (1989) Status of languages in multilingual societies. In U. Ammon (Ed.) Status and function of languages and language varieties (pp.3–20). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. doi: 10.1515/9783110860252.3
     https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110860252.3 [Google Scholar]
  13. McEntee-Atalianis, L. J.
    (2006) ‘Geostrategies of interlingualism’: Language policy and practice in the International Maritime Organisation, London. pCurrent Issues in Language Planning, 7(2&3), 341–358. doi: 10.2167/cilp102.0
     https://doi.org/10.2167/cilp102.0 [Google Scholar]
  14. (2008) Diplomatic negotiation in an international organisation: An exploration of expert status and power. The International Journal of Diversity in Organisations, Communities and Nations, 8(3), 265–271. doi: 10.18848/1447‑9532/CGP/v08i03/39594
     https://doi.org/10.18848/1447-9532/CGP/v08i03/39594 [Google Scholar]
  15. (2010) An investigation of argumentational discourse units in diplomatic negotiation. Sociolinguistic Studies, 4(3), 553–568.
     [Google Scholar]
  16. (2015) Language policy and planning in international organisations. In U. Jessner-Schmid and C. Kramsch (Eds.), The multilingual challenge: Cross-disciplinary perspectives (pp.295–322). Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton, doi: 10.1515/9781614512165‑014
     https://doi.org/10.1515/9781614512165-014 [Google Scholar]
  17. (2016) A network model of language policy and planning: The United Nations as a case study. Language Problems and Language Planning, 40(2), 187–217. doi: 10.1075/lplp.40.2.05mce
     https://doi.org/10.1075/lplp.40.2.05mce [Google Scholar]
  18. Nettle, D. & Romaine, S.
    (2000) Vanishing voices: The extinction of the world’s languages. New York: Oxford University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  19. Ouane, A. & Glanz, C.
    (2010) Why and how Africa should invest in African languages and multilingual education: An evidence- and practice-based policy advocacy brief. Hamburg: UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning.
     [Google Scholar]
  20. Pearl, S. B.
    (1996) Changes in the pattern of language use in the United Nations. In K. Müller (Ed.), Language status in the post-Cold-War era (pp.29–42). Lanham, MD: University Press of America.
     [Google Scholar]
  21. Phillipson, R.
    (1996) The UN agenda for development: The role of languages. In S. Léger (Ed.), Vers un agenda linguistique: regard futuriste sur les Nations Unies / Towards a Language Agenda: Futurist Outlook on the United Nations (pp.399–422). Ottawa: Canadian Centre for Linguistic Rights, University of Ottawa.
     [Google Scholar]
  22. Pinnock, H.
    (2009) Language and education, the missing link: How the language used in schools threatens the achievement of Education for All. Save the Children and the CfBT Education Trust.
     [Google Scholar]
  23. Piron, C.
    (1980) Problèmes de communication linguistique au Nations Unies et dans les organiations apparentées. Language Problems and Language Planning, 4(3), 224–236. doi: 10.1075/lplp.4.3.03pir
     https://doi.org/10.1075/lplp.4.3.03pir [Google Scholar]
  24. Reinicke, W. H. & Deng, F. , with Witte, J. M. , Benner, T. , Whitaker, B. , & Gershman, J.
    (2000) Critical choices: The United Nations, networks, and the future of global governance. Ottawa: International Development Research Centre.
     [Google Scholar]
  25. Romaine, S.
    (1990) Language, education and development: Urban and rural Tok Pisin paper New Guinea. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  26. (2013) Keeping the promise of the Millenium Development Goals: Why language matters. Applied Linguistic Review, 4(1), 1–21. doi: 10.1515/applirev‑2013‑0001
     https://doi.org/10.1515/applirev-2013-0001 [Google Scholar]
  27. Schuppan, T.
    (2009) E-Government in developing countries: Experiences from sub-Saharan Africa. Government Information Quarterly, 26, 118–127. doi: 10.1016/j.giq.2008.01.006
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2008.01.006 [Google Scholar]
  28. Shea, T. , Ariguzo, G. , & White, D. S.
    (2007) Putting the world in the World Wide Web: The globalisation of the internet. International Journal of Business Information Systems, 2, 75–98. doi: 10.1504/IJBIS.2007.011417
     https://doi.org/10.1504/IJBIS.2007.011417 [Google Scholar]
  29. Tonkin, H.
    (1996a) Language hierarchy at the United Nations. In S. Léger (Ed.), Vers un agenda linguistique: regard futuriste sur les Nations Unies / Towards a Language Agenda: Futurist Outlook on the United Nation (pp.3–28). Ottawa: Canadian Centre for Linguistic Rights, University of Ottawa.
     [Google Scholar]
  30. (1996b) Language equality at the United Nations: An achievable dream. In K. Müller (Ed.), Language status in the post-Cold-War era (pp.141–148). Lanham, MD: University Press of America.
     [Google Scholar]
  31. (2011) Language and the United Nations: A Preliminary Review. esperanto-un.org/images/languages-un-tonkin-draft-dec2011.pdf
  32. UN DESA
    UN DESA (2013) Strengthening public participation at the United Nations for Sustainable Development: Dialogue, debate, dissent, deliberation. Study for UN DESA/DSD Major Groups Programme. Barbara Adams & Lou Pingeot . New York: United Nations.
     [Google Scholar]
  33. UNESCO
    UNESCO (2010) Education for all global monitoring report 2010: Reaching the marginalised. Paris: UNESCO and Oxford University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  34. UNESCO
    UNESCO (2014) International expert meeting on improving access to multilingual cyberspace 28–29 October. Paris: UNESCO.
     [Google Scholar]
  35. UNESCO
    UNESCO (2015) Adult and youth literacy: UIS fact sheet. Institute for Statistics, September 2015, No.32. www.uis.unesco.org/literacy/Documents/fs32-2015-literacy.pdf, accessedFebruary 18, 2016.
     [Google Scholar]
  36. United Nations
    United Nations (2012) Conference on sustainable development, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 20–22 June 2012. New York: United Nations.
     [Google Scholar]
  37. United Nations
    United Nations (2014a) Multilingualism: Report of the Secretary General. 69th Session of the General Assembly. A/69/282. [Reissued for technical reasons on 8 June 2015]. New York: United Nations.
     [Google Scholar]
  38. United Nations
    United Nations (2014b) Report of the Open Working Group of the General Assembly on Sustainable Development Goals. 68th session 12 August 2014. A/68/970. New York: United Nations.
     [Google Scholar]
  39. United Nations
    United Nations (2014c) General Assembly. The road to dignity by 2030: Ending poverty, transforming all lives and protecting the planet. Synthesis report of the Secretary-General on the post-2015 sustainable development agenda. 69th Session 4 December 2014. A/69/700. New York: United Nations.
     [Google Scholar]
  40. United Nations
    United Nations (2015a) General Assembly Report of the Committee on Information. 37th Session 27 April-8 May 2015. A/AC.198/2015/2 & A/70/21. New York: United Nations.
     [Google Scholar]
  41. United Nations
    United Nations (2015b) General Assembly. Activities of the Department of Public Information: News services. Report of the Secretary General. 37th Session 27 April-8 May 2015. A/AC.198/2015/3. New York: United Nations.
     [Google Scholar]
  42. United Nations
    United Nations (2015c) General Assembly. Activities of the Department of Public Information: outreach and knowledge services. Report of the Secretary General. 37th Session 27 April-8 May 2015. A/AC.198/2015/4. New York: United Nations.
     [Google Scholar]
  43. United Nations
    United Nations (2015d) Resolution Adopted by the General Assembly on 11 September 2015: Multilingualism. Resolution A/RES/69/324. New York: United Nations.
     [Google Scholar]
  44. United Nations
    United Nations (2015e) General Assembly. Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 25 September 2015. 70th Session. A/RES/70/1. New York: United Nations.
     [Google Scholar]
  45. Wyzner, E.
    (1992) Languages in international organizations: The case of the United Nations. In K. Müller (Ed.), Language as barrier and bridge (pp.1–10). Lanham, MD: University Press of America.
     [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1075/lplp.00001.mce
Loading
“Leave no one behind”
Language Problems and Language Planning 41, 217 (2017); https://doi.org/10.1075/lplp.00001.mce
/content/journals/10.1075/lplp.00001.mce
/content/journals/10.1075/lplp.00001.mce
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): information technology; language policy; multilingualism; sustainable development goals; United Nations

Most Cited

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error