Special issue "Endangered languages" (see under 'Features')

• Over 50% of the world's 6000 languages are endangered.
• 96% of the world's 6000 languages are spoken by 4% of the world's population.
• 90% of the world's languages are not represented on the Internet.
• One language disappears on average every two weeks.
• 80% of the African languages have no orthography.

The UNESCO Endangered Languages Programme has as its mission to promote and safeguard endangered languages and linguistic diversity as an essential part of the living heritage of humanity.

Three priority lines of action guide the Programme's activities:

(i)  awareness-raising of language endangerment, and of the need to safeguard our linguistic diversity 
Partnership between UNESCO, UN Works and Discovery Communications, INC
UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger of Disappearing (1996, 2001) and its new online version

(ii) local capacity-building and promotion of language policies
Over the past few years, a number of local, national and sub-regional capacity-building projects have been carried out by UNESCO throughout the world.

(iii) mobilization of international cooperation
UNESCO Expert meeting on endangered languages, Paris, March 2003
Capacity-building for safeguarding languages and oral traditions and expressions in Sub-Saharan Africa

In its activities for the safeguarding of endangered languages, UNESCO is guided by the following texts: