Thank you very much. In 2016, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2019 as the International Year for Indigenous Languages. We are all familiar with the UN’s practice of bringing important matters to global attention. I am therefore grateful for the opportunity to inform the Assembly of how the Welsh Government is marking the year in question.

There are three objectives by the UN for the year. The first is to focus global attention on the challenges confronting indigenous languages and to underline their significance for sustainable development, reconciliation, developing good governance and peace building. The second is to target definitive steps that will improve the situation of those languages. And the third is to increase the capacity of organisations that promote indigenous languages and provide help to protect the rights of the people who speak those languages. UNESCO has taken the lead in co-ordinating the year on behalf of the United Nations.