The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) has today published a new policy paper, “Beyond Words: Language as a Peoples’ Right”, highlighting how the erosion of linguistic diversity poses a direct threat to cultural survival, collective identity, and the ability of Peoples to exercise their right to self-determination.
Based on the experiences of UNPO members, the report demonstrates how the suppression of language is often one of the first steps taken by states to marginalise or erase Indigenous and minority communities. The paper makes a clear connection between language, identity, political participation, and cultural resilience.
Language as a Cornerstone of Rights
Language is not simply a tool for communication, it shapes how communities understand the world, relate to their environment, and pass on knowledge and identity. The paper shows that limitations on language use, especially through state policies of forced assimilation or exclusion, undermine the right of Peoples to self-determination and weaken cultural survival.
It outlines how these patterns of repression are visible across different regions, with examples from UNPO members:
- Catalonia, where legal restrictions continue to weaken the Catalan language’s presence in public life and education, despite formal recognition.
- Balochistan, where state policies have systematically eroded the Balochi language, contributing to the broader suppression of Baloch identity.
- Khmer-Krom, where restrictions on Khmer language education and use reflect a wider system of exclusion targeting cultural and religious practices.
- Kabylia, where refusal to fully recognise the Kabyle language and identity forms part of ongoing repression against the Kabyle people.
In all these cases, linguistic repression is closely linked to political marginalisation and cultural erasure. The paper emphasises that when a people’s language is excluded from education, media, public spaces, and governance, their capacity to maintain their identity, culture, and future is directly threatened.
According to UNESCO, 40% of the world’s languages are at risk of disappearing, with at least one language vanishing every two weeks. Globalisation, technological developments, mass migration, and authoritarian policies have accelerated these trends, undermining the ability of Indigenous Peoples and minority communities to transmit their languages to future generations.
The paper also raises concern about how technological advances, including the dominance of major global languages in artificial intelligence and digital platforms, further exclude minority languages, making it harder for them to survive and remain relevant in modern society.
Language Suppression as a Form of Control
The policy paper shows that states often use language as a political tool to assimilate, control, and silence Peoples. Restrictions on language use in education, media, or public life are rarely isolated, they form part of broader policies designed to weaken cultural resilience and suppress demands for recognition or self-governance.
Assimilationist policies, whether imposed through law or more subtle forms of pressure, target language to fragment communities and undermine collective rights. The paper underlines that defending language is an essential act of resistance, closely tied to protecting cultural identity and the right to self-determination.
UNPO’s Call to Action
The policy part is part of UNPO’s ‘Preserving Identities and Re-owning Narratives’ campaign and the 2025 webinar series, ‘Peoples’ Rights, Peoples’ Future – The Foundation of Our Shared Future’, which highlights the links between language rights, cultural survival, and self-determination.
UNPO urges governments, regional bodies, and the international community to:
- Recognise and protect linguistic diversity within states;
- Guarantee mother tongue education and language rights in public life;
- End assimilationist policies and state practices that erode minority and Indigenous languages;
- Ensure communities have a meaningful role in shaping language and education policies;
- Safeguard linguistic rights as part of broader strategies to support self-determination and cultural resilience.
The loss of language is not only the disappearance of words, it represents the erasure of history, knowledge, identity, and the ability of Peoples to participate in shaping their own futures. Defending language rights is a necessary step towards resisting cultural repression and ensuring that unrepresented nations, Indigenous Peoples, and minority communities can thrive.
