Agenda

Since the adoption of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) framework, Action Line C8 on cultural diversity and identity, linguistic diversity and local content has provided an important normative and policy foundation for advancing multilingualism in the digital environment. Significant progress has been achieved, including the development of Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs), the expansion of multilingual (cultural) content online, and increased recognition of the role of linguistic and cultural diversity in fostering inclusive, equitable, and sustainable information societies. 

These efforts have been further supported by relevant UNESCO normative instruments, including the 2003 Recommendation concerning the Promotion and Use of Multilingualism and Universal Access to Cyberspace and the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. They are also reinforced by the UNESCO–ICANN policy brief on advancing Universal Acceptance of all domain names and email addresses, which highlights the importance of ensuring full technical compatibility of non-Latin scripts and multilingual identifiers as a core enabler of a truly multilingual internet. Concerning the inclusion of (cultural) content online and access by Indigenous Peoples, the Global Action Plan of the UN International Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022-2032 provides a valuable guidance, to which UNESCO serves as the lead UN coordination agency.

Notwithstanding these advances, persistent structural inequalities continue to limit the meaningful participation of Indigenous Peoples and speakers of low-resourced languages and presence of their (cultural) content in the digital ecosystem. The rapid emergence of artificial intelligence and data-driven technologies has further amplified these challenges, as well as the lack of enforcement of policies on intellectual property rights. Moreover, language technologies remain unevenly developed and largely concentrated in high-resource languages, contributing to new forms of digital and linguistic exclusion. In parallel, gaps in the implementation of Universal Acceptance and other digital transformation policies continue to constrain the usability of linguistic diversity across internet infrastructure and digital services, limiting access to domain names and email addresses in all scripts and undermining interoperability in a multilingual internet. In this context, and in line with WSIS+20 outcomes, UNESCO’s Global Roadmap for Multilingualism in the Digital Era, and ongoing international efforts on ethical AI governance, there is a renewed need to strengthen multistakeholder cooperation to ensure that linguistic and cultural diversity are fully integrated into inclusive, rights-based and human-centred digital transformations.

This objective is further reinforced by the outcomes of MONDIACULT 2025. These outcomes highlight the importance of equitable access to digital technologies, the discoverability of diverse and multilingual cultural content, and the ethical development and use of AI in support of cultural diversity, human creativity and cultural rights.

Objectives

This session aims to highlight the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity as a cornerstone of inclusive, rights-based and human-centred digital transformation. Building on the UNESCO 2003 Recommendation concerning the Promotion and Use of Multilingualism and Universal Access to Cyberspace, the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, the outcomes of the WSIS+20 process, UNESCO’s Global Roadmap for Multilingualism in the Digital Era, and the UNESCO–ICANN policy brief Advancing Universal Acceptance of All Domain Names and Email Addresses for a Multilingual Internet, the session will examine current opportunities and challenges for advancing multilinguistic (cultural) content in the digital environment.

The session will provide a multistakeholder platform for dialogue and engagement among policymakers, technical community representatives, academia, civil society, Indigenous Peoples, the private sector and international organizations to exchange experiences, showcase emerging initiatives, and identify collaborative approaches to strengthening linguistic and cultural diversity online. Particular attention will be given to the role of artificial intelligence and language technologies, ethical and inclusive data governance, local content creation, the protection and discoverability of multilingual cultural content, and the implementation of Universal Acceptance as a key enabler of digital inclusion. Through these discussions, the session seeks to foster cooperation and promote actionable recommendations to support the development of a more inclusive, accessible and multilingual digital ecosystem for all.