A/HRC/44/34 determination. She noted that indigenous languages were the means through which indigenous peoples’ cultural information, as well as their laws and customs, traditional knowledge and science, governance and diplomatic traditions, could be expressed. 10. She denounced the reality that indigenous peoples had been losing their lives in their efforts to protect their languages or because they could not be understood when expressing themselves in those languages. She highlighted the critical importance of supporting indigenous peoples in their use of indigenous languages to express themselves and endorsed building on the lessons learned in the context of the International Year of Indigenous Languages, expressing the hope for and promise of an international decade. 11. Ms. Carpenter concluded by stating that language rights were human rights and therefore required protection. III. Summary of the proceedings A. Contributions of the panellists 12. Mr. Wyatt welcomed the International Year of Indigenous Languages on behalf of Australia and presented some crucial statistics about indigenous languages, namely, that 96 per cent of the world’s 6,700 languages were spoken by just 3 per cent of the global population and that indigenous peoples spoke more than 4,000 of those languages, despite comprising less than 6 per cent of the world’s population. He underlined that language was not only a communication tool, but also a means of connecting, teaching, exchanging ideals and expressing unique perspectives, with that being especially true of indigenous languages. Languages further allowed for invaluable insight into various cultures and into the values held by diverse peoples. He recalled the fundamental nature of the right to speak one’s own language and to use it to express one’s identity, culture and history and to communicate philosophies and rights. 13. He proceeded to discuss the situation of indigenous languages in Australia. Currently, only half of the approximately 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages were still spoken, with only 13 considered prominent, placing Australia among the countries with the most endangered languages. In that context, he addressed the State’s actions towards maintaining the knowledge of languages spoken currently and the preservation of those resources for younger generations to ensure their connection with their identity, culture and heritage. 14. He noted a number of partnerships between the Government of Australia and indigenous peoples aimed at the revitalization of their languages, notably through recognition of the cultural authority, community control and engagement with indigenous communities. He listed the following initiatives for the promotion and protection of indigenous languages: comprehensive survey on the current state of the proficiency and frequency of the use of indigenous languages; indigenous, community-led language and arts centres contributing to strong cultural identities and community-driven activities promoting well-being; provision of a range of content, from children’s stories to news articles, in indigenous languages available on modern streaming platforms and through community radio stations; provision of interpretation services; and identification of qualitative links between language and indicators of well-being, such as resilience, prosperity and health. 15. He emphasized the importance of the collection of information and underlined that increased accuracy in data on languages was crucial for understanding the links towards improving life outcomes, grasping the imperatives of incorporating language into government services and prioritizing efforts to preserve and revitalize languages. He concluded by asserting that indigenous languages must be heard and preserved and that, those profound losses notwithstanding, it was not too late to revitalize indigenous languages. 16. Mr. Amouzay stressed that linguistic rights were fundamental human rights and, in that context, echoed calls for the revitalization, preservation and promotion of indigenous languages. He began by discussing the international normative structure of the linguistic rights applicable to indigenous languages and noted the duality of the principles of personality and territoriality, with States generally opting for the former for multilingual 3