International Translation Day

The United Nations, on 24 May 2017, adopted a resolution 71/288 on the role of language professionals in connecting nations and fostering peace, understanding and development, and declared 30 September as International Translation Day.

Background

30 September celebrates the feast of St. Jerome, the Bible translator, who is considered the patron saint of translators.

St. Jerome was a priest from North-eastern Italy, who is known mostly for his endeavor of translating most of the Bible into Latin from the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. He also translated parts of the Hebrew Gospel into Greek. He was of Illyrian ancestry and his native tongue was the Illyrian dialect. He learned Latin in school and was fluent in Greek and Hebrew, which he picked up from his studies and travels. Jerome died near Bethlehem on 30 September 420.

Objective

International Translation Day is meant as an opportunity to pay tribute to the work of language professionals, which plays an important role in bringing nations together, facilitating dialogue, understanding and cooperation, contributing to development and strengthening world peace and security.

Transposition of a literary or scientific work, including technical work, from one language into another language, professional translation, including translation proper, interpretation and terminology, is indispensable to preserving clarity, a positive climate and productiveness in international public discourse and interpersonal communication.

Languages, with their complex implications for identity, communication, social integration, education and development, are of strategic importance for people and the planet.

There is growing awareness that languages play a vital role in development, in ensuring cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue, but also in attaining quality education for all and strengthening cooperation, in building inclusive knowledge societies and preserving cultural heritage, and in mobilizing political will for applying the benefits of science and technology to sustainable development.

An essential factor in harmonious communication among peoples, multilingualism is to be a core value of any organization. By promoting tolerance, multilingualism ensures effective and increased participation of all in the organization’s work, as well as greater effectiveness, better performance and improved transparency.

An International Decade for Indigenous Languages (2022-2032)

While indigenous peoples make up only 5 per cent of the world’s population, they speak the majority of its 7,000 languages – an estimated 6,000 languages.

According to the United Nations, more than 30 per cent of the world’s languages are expected to disappear by the end of this century due to a lack of speakers, teaching, literature, transmission or political commitment. Not only does the loss of an indigenous language impoverish linguistic diversity, it also leads to an irremediable loss of traditional knowledge.

It is in attempting to halt this trend and safeguard this heritage that the United Nations has proclaimed 2022-2032 as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages.

This Decade, led by UNESCO in cooperation with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and other relevant UN Agencies, is designated to draw attention to the critical loss of indigenous languages and the need to preserve, revitalize and promote them, including as vehicles of education. The Los Pinos Declaration, endorsed in February 2020 in Mexico City upon the impetus of Mexico, and a Global Action Plan, presented in 2021, foster the implementation of concrete global action to preserve indigenous languages.

Source : UN