Language in the UN and EU: Linguistic Diversity as a Challenge for Multilateralism

Abstract:     
Over 6000 languages are spoken throughout the world. Yet as a practical matter, international institutions can operate in only a limited number of languages. This article explores the implications of this gap between the languages spoken by the world’s people and the languages used in the UN and EU, in the context of concerns about the “democratic deficit” in these two institutions. It suggests that, at both a practical and a symbolic level, limitations on the number of languages used within multilateral institutions may exclude certain groups from effective participation in processes of global governance within these bodies. This highlights a general tension between multilateralism and the accommodation of linguistic diversity, which is then explored in more detail through an analysis of the debate surrounding the adoption of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 23

Keywords: international institutions, international law, language policy, linguistic diversity, democratic deficit, global governance

JEL Classification: K10, K30, K33

Accepted Paper Series