CLACS Director Serafín M. Coronel-Molina Appointed Expert Member of UNESCO

Serafín M. Coronel-Molina, Professor of Literacy, Culture, and Language Education, and International & Comparative Education in the School of Education, Director of the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS), and Head Coordinator of the Global Indigenous Studies Network (GISN) within the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies at Indiana University, has  been appointed as an Expert Member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Ad-hoc Group 3: Recognition, Status, and Implementation of Policy for Indigenous Languages. This group is tasked with mapping the recognition and status of Indigenous languages within language policies and analyzing how these policies are being implemented. The Ad-hoc Group operates as part of the Global Task Force for the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (IDIL 2022-2032).

     The United Nations General Assembly, through Resolution A/RES/74/135, proclaimed 2022-2032 as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages to raise global awareness about the critical endangerment facing many Indigenous languages worldwide. This initiative aims to mobilize stakeholders and resources for the preservation, revitalization, and promotion of these languages. The establishment of the International Decade follows the successful outcomes of the 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages, for which UNESCO played a leading role. UNESCO will continue to serve as the lead UN agency for the Decade, working in collaboration with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and other relevant UN bodies.

     UNESCO, founded on November 16, 1945, includes 195 member states and 8 associate members. Governed by the General Conference and the Executive Board, the organization is managed by the Secretariat and led by the Director-General. With headquarters in Paris, UNESCO operates more than 50 field offices worldwide.