Photo: Matjaž Klemenc/Office of the President of the Republic of Slovenia
International Mother Language Day
In 1999, UNESCO proclaimed the International Mother Language Day, which was later (in 2002) adopted by the UN General Assembly. The day is observed on 21 February in remembrance of the protest and death of Bengali students, who demanded equality for their mother language on 21 February 1952 in Pakistan. This year's theme is "Multilingual education – a pillar of learning and intergenerational learning".
Presidential Palace, 21 Feb 2024
News
"Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone is entitled to enjoy all the rights and freedoms enshrined in the declaration, without any distinction, including language. On International Mother Language Day, I therefore want to emphasize the importance of growing up, learning and creating in the mother language for the equal development of people and society. A respectful attitude towards the mother language and the mother languages of other people is a bridge between nations and cultures," said the President of the Republic.
"Language and alphabet are part of our identity. I am happy that this year's International Mother Language Day is being celebrated at a time when Slovenes in Italy are finally able to have their names and surnames written in Italian passports with consonants - as is correct in Slovenian," added President Pirc Musar.
