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Language, Digital Resources and the Sustainable Development Goals

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Language and Sustainable Development

Part of the book series: Language Policy ((LAPO,volume 32))

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Abstract

In September 2015 the United Nations (UN) adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offering an internationally agreed blueprint for economic, environmental and social development. However, those people most in need and specifically targeted by the SDGs face significant barriers in accessing information and knowledge about the goals and about sustainability in a language or medium that they can understand. Drawing on previous research on the UN’s language policy and practice in general, and on analyses of UN reports and resolutions on multilingualism, information policy and practice in relation to the SDGs, this chapter examines the current status of multilingualism and information transfer within and outside the Organisation. It identifies significant linguistic and digital/media barriers, arguing that the UN and its member states must plan in linguistically more plural and inclusive ways by developing a tri-sectoral communication network strategy. This strategy should involve civil society and the public and private sectors to facilitate knowledge transfer and increase participation, thereby ensuring that “no one is left behind”.

This chapter was first published as an article in Language Problems and Language Planning (McEntee-Atalianis, 2017, https://benjamins.com/catalog/lplp). Material has been revised and updated in light of: global events, changes to UN practices and resolutions, digital developments and recent research.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    See https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300 for a list of all goals and targets.

  2. 2.

    See also Phillipson’s (1996) earlier account of the role of language in the UN’s development agenda.

  3. 3.

    See, as an example, the “cross-cutting measures” documented in the SG’s Report on Multilingualism (United Nations, 2019, p. 18ff) in which he documents his personal multilingual endeavours, e.g. delivering speeches and messages in multiple languages and engaging bilaterally in the language of his interlocutor. He details his plans and support for a multilingual Secretariat, e.g. mainstreaming multilingualism in senior leader’s compacts and appointment notices; encouraging language learning, etc.

  4. 4.

    It must be noted that the “digital divide” does not correlate neatly with the division between the local v. global, or developed v. developing countries nor a North/South divide. Reinicke et al. (2000, p. 88) assert that many living in industrialized nations still have limited if any access to the internet, whilst Governments and NGOs in developing nations do. On balance, the global South is less able to access information technology, however.

    Also see Zaugg et al. (2022, p.3). They note that while many endangered, Indigenous, oral, minority and signed languages are ‘digitally disadvantaged’, so too are widely spoken and thriving national languages.

  5. 5.

    E.g. The “Roll Back Malaria” campaign (see Reinicke et al., 2000).

  6. 6.

    Blommaert (2009, p. 240) suggests that the term “state” now extends to sub-state actors/institutions (e.g. unions, civil society groups, regional/local governments); the nation-state and super-state institutions (e.g. the EU or UN).

  7. 7.

    Zaugg (2020) and Zaugg et al. (2022) assert that disparities of access are only one element of the digital divide. Zaugg et al. (2022, p. 2) claim that digitally disadvantaged language communities confront three obstacles: lack of ‘equitable access’; inadequate digital tools for the ‘integrity of their languages, scripts and writing systems, and knowledge systems’; and, ‘vulnerability to harm through digital surveillance and under-moderation of language content’.

  8. 8.

    For example, in 2020, the UN secretariat supported Myanmar in the development of a national science, technology and innovation policy and strategy. Also, the secretariat, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and the Ministry of Science and Technology of China jointly developed a capacity-building workshop on science, technology and innovation for sustainable development (ESCAP, 2020b).

  9. 9.

    The UN supports six official languages – Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish – and a varied number of (working) languages across its Headquarters and agencies. See McEntee-Atalianis (2015, forthcoming) for details.

  10. 10.

    Formerly, the Department of Public Information (DPI), now known as the “Department of Global Communications” (DGC) (since 2019) is the conduit for the dissemination of information about the UN to global audiences. It consists of three main divisions: Strategic Communications (key responsibilities include the development and implementation of strategies for communicating UN information and managing Information Centres); News and Media (news services – print, radio, television and internet) and Outreach Division (conveys information and encourages exchange of ideas and knowledge in support of the UN agenda).

  11. 11.

    See United Nations, 2015d.

  12. 12.

    Also see calls by member states in 2020 to allocate resources to new media (United Nations, 2020).

  13. 13.

    These included: Armenian, Bahasa Indonesia, Bangla, Belarusian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Georgian, German, Greek, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Kazakh, Kiswahili, Malagasy, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Slovak, Slovene, Swedish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu and Uzbek. Materials ranged from brochures to video and audio press kits.

  14. 14.

    Undertaken by the author in 2017, see http://unic.un.org/aroundworld/unics/en/whoWeAre/index.asp for raw data.

  15. 15.

    Examples of ad hoc campaigns are listed; however, an exhaustive listing is not provided.

  16. 16.

    A research study undertaken by the UN Pakistan “Communication Group” determined that 61% of Pakistanis had no opinion about the UN. This prompted the development of the “One UN Programme” to engage multiple sectors and agents, e.g. media, government institutions (federal and provincial), civil society, the general public and donors.

  17. 17.

    In contrast to the limited availability of e-resources, 75% of households are reported to have radios (UNESCO, 2014). Arguably the use of traditional media should be prioritized in the Department’s planning.

  18. 18.

    As documented by Zaugg et al. (2022), UNESCO – following the UN’s declaration of ‘The International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022–2032) – has asserted that they will attempt to focus efforts on expanding digital support for Indigenous languages.

  19. 19.

    Some report a decline in materials available in the official (let alone local) languages, e.g. Belarus reports a decline in Russian material, only receiving information in English which they claim to be “of no use”. Moreover, the budget has remained at the same level since 1995.

  20. 20.

    See Graham’s (2011) discussion of physical and “existential” divides.

  21. 21.

    It is interesting to note that the Division of Sustainable Development (Department of Economic and Social Affairs) conducted on-line consultations in English, Spanish and Chinese (only) to support the preparation of the Global Sustainability Report.

  22. 22.

    Zaugg et al. (2022) note that linguistic digital marginalisation reflects wider power dynamics, particularly due to digital technologies being developed in the (English-speaking countries of the) UK and USA. Although see Danet and Herring (2007) for examples of other languages (including code-switching) on the internet.

  23. 23.

    Indigenous populations constitute around 15% of the world’s poorest peoples and speak 60% of the world’s languages (Nettle and Romaine, 2000; United Nations, 2018).

  24. 24.

    See Dolowitz and Marsh’s (2000) discussion of factors leading to failure in policy transfer. Also see Flammia and Saunders’ (2007) discussion of “language as power” on the internet.

  25. 25.

    UNESCO already recognizes that developments in information and communication technology are imperative for economic and social development. They are understood as fundamental to the eradication of poverty in developing countries. But UNESCO also recognizes major disparities between and within developed and developing countries. The first international forum focussing on ‘Multilingualism in Cyberspace for Inclusive Sustainable Development’ (co-hosted by UN IITE) took place in June 2017.

  26. 26.

    A distinction is made between policy (meaning a statement of intent and broad plan of action) and programme (meaning the actions necessary in order to effectively implement policy).

  27. 27.

    The civil society sector is now quite large and has direct access to sources of international funding. Donor organisations (particularly those supporting projects in developing nations) often prefer to provide funds through NGOs and other civil society groups rather than government organisations (Reinicke et al., 2000).

  28. 28.

    The notion of “common but differentiated rights” was proposed by the Center for Economic and Social Rights (2015). They argue that some countries, particularly developed countries, bear greater responsibility for sustainable development given the impact they have had on the global environment and their command of superior resources (financial and technological): “These differentiated responsibilities should be reflected and concretely captured when States are crafting targets, commitments and indicators regarding the means of implementation for the post-2015 agendas” (p. 1). They assert that their contributions should not only focus on aid but also on co-operating in mobilising resources for universal cultural, economic and social rights.

  29. 29.

    Information about those partnerships and their “multiplying impact” was requested at the 37th session of the Committee on Information (United Nations, 2015a, p. 26, paras 62, 63).

  30. 30.

    For example, they report on training provided by Deloitte on the UN Compact on Global Management which was delivered in five local networks using local languages (see https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/partnership/?p=1035).

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  1. Department of Languages, Cultures and Applied Linguistics, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK

    Lisa J. McEntee-Atalianis

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  1. Department of Languages, Cultures and Applied Linguistics, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK

    Lisa J. McEntee-Atalianis

  2. President Emeritus, University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT, USA

    Humphrey Tonkin

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McEntee-Atalianis, L.J. (2023). Language, Digital Resources and the Sustainable Development Goals. In: McEntee-Atalianis, L.J., Tonkin, H. (eds) Language and Sustainable Development. Language Policy, vol 32. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24918-1_3

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