On 21 February 2025, UNU, in partnership with the Embassy of Bangladesh in Japan, will co-host a commemorative event celebrating International Mother Language Day. The event will be held from 15:00–16:15 in the 2F Reception Hall at UNU Headquarters in Tokyo.
International Mother Language Day was proclaimed by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in November 1999. The idea to celebrate International Mother Language Day was an initiative of Bangladesh. The UN General Assembly welcomed the proclamation of the day with its 2002 adoption of a resolution on "multilingualism".
International Mother Language Day is part of an initiative "to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by people of the world" as adopted by the UN General Assembly on 16 May 2007. 2025 marks the 25th anniversary of International Mother Language Day. This milestone highlights a quarter-century of dedicated efforts to preserve linguistic diversity and promote the use of mother tongues. It serves as a significant opportunity to reflect on achievements, renew commitments, and emphasize the critical role of language preservation in safeguarding cultural heritage, improving education outcomes and creating more peaceful, sustainable societies.
The commemorative event will include welcome remarks by UNU Rector Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala and the Ambassador of Bangladesh to Japan H.E Mr. Md. Daud Ali. This will be followed by a selection of cultural performances from Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Japan. After the cultural performances, guests will be invited to an informal reception with traditional Bangladeshi cuisine.
Registration
This event will be held in English. Advance registration (by 20 February at 15:00) is required. Please click on the REGISTER button above to access the online registration page.
UNU@50
This event is part of the UNU 50th anniversary celebration. To learn more, visit: https://unu.edu/unuat50
