21 February – International Mother Language Day

On the occasion of the International Mother Language Day the Council of Europe reiterates its commitment to protecting and promoting regional or minority languages as an integral part of European cultural heritage and diversity. The Council of Europe promotes a Europe based on tolerance, mutual understanding and dialogue, where all people can live together peacefully. Linguistic and cultural diversity are assets to European societies.
The right to use one’s mother tongue is a basic human right. The use of the mother tongue is protected and promoted by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML), the only legally-binding international treaty worldwide for traditionally used minority languages. It thereby also helps to keep threatened lesser-used languages alive as part of the intangible cultural heritage in Europe, thus allowing them to continue contributing to the cultural wealth and diversity of a country. More...