An ICC Language Commission was established, under the following terms of reference that were adopted at a council meeting in December 1998.
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE INUIT LANGUAGE COMMISSION
Background
By resolution number 98-14 “Regarding Language and Communication”, adopted at the General Assembly of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference (“ICC”) in Nuuk, Greenland, in July 1998, directed that the ICC establish an ICC Language Commission.
The establishment of the Commission recognizes the central place that Inuit languages play in the identification, preservation, and strengthening of Inuit and Inuit culture throughout the circumpolar region. The facts that Inuit culture is an oral culture and that the continued use of Inuit languages are threatened further demonstrate the need for ICC to establish the Commission.
The establishment of the Commission is consistent with the purposes of the ICC to “strengthen unity among Inuit of the Circumpolar region” and to “ensure the endurance and the growth of Inuit culture and societies for both the present and future generations”.
Finally, the action of ICC to take steps to ensure that Inuit languages remain a central and alive part of Inuit culture are consistent with the Principles and Elements of the ICC Arctic Policy and with a number of international conventions and declarations, including: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; the Universal Declaration off Linguistic Rights; the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; and, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Purpose
The purpose of the Commission is:
To act as a forum for Inuit to discuss activities, opportunities and issues regarding the preservation and promotion of Inuit languages as the language of use and choice for all Inuit in all aspects of their private and public lives and to further develop and spread the use of Inuit languages;
To act as a forum for Inuit to identify actions that ICC, each of its Member Parties, the governments having jurisdiction in the Inuit Homeland and all Inuit can take that will result in the preservation, promotion and development of Inuit languages;
To discuss and provide recommendations to the Executive Council on the development of one writing system for all Inuit languages; and
To provide recommendation to the Executive Council concerning actions, methods and opportunities for preserving and promoting Inuit languages.
Membership
Each of the Member Parties of ICC, being Inuit Circumpolar Conference (Canada) Inc., Inuit Circumpolar Conference Alaska, ICC Greenland and ICC Russia, shall appoint one member to the Commission. Members appointed to the Commission should have an extensive knowledge of the issues and concerns surrounding the preservation and promotion of Inuit languages.
The President of ICC shall appoint one additional member to Commission who shall be the Chairman of the Commission.
Any member of the Commission may be removed and replaced by the Member Party or President (as the case may be) who appointed them.
Accountability And Reporting
The Commission shall take direction from, be accountable to and report to the Executive Council through the President of ICC.
The Commission shall make a detailed report to the Executive Council at least once each year detailing the activities of the Commission in the preceding year and any recommendations that the Commission can or wishes to make at that time.
The Commission shall provide a detailed report of all of its activities, a complete set of recommendations and results of any reviews or investigations to the Executive Council three (3) months prior to the next General Assembly of the ICC. This report shall contain a recommendation, with reasons, on whether the Commission should have its mandate renewed.
The Commission may provide the Executive Council with any other reports or recommendations, concerning matters within its mandate, that the Commission deems appropriate.
The Commission shall meet at least once each year, at a place and time, agreed to by the President. The Commission may submit requests for other meetings to the President who shall present them to the Executive Council. The Executive Council is under no obligation to agree to any other meetings.
The Executive Council, after receiving and reviewing a report of the Commission or on its own initiative, may provide the Commission with further and additional directions which the Commission shall treat as additions to these terms of reference and adjust its activities accordingly.
Funding
The funding for the activities of the Commission shall be determined by the Executive Council. It is expected that the activities of the Commission will require no more than one face to face meeting each year and that the costs of the Commission should be modest.
Activities
The activities of the Commission shall be carried out either by the members of the Commission or by ICC staff directed by the President on a request by the Commission.
The Commission shall carry out the following activities in fulfillment of its purpose:
To investigate the possibility and, if possible, lay the foundation for a common Inuit orthography the possibilities including the Latin, Cyrillic and syllabics writing systems applicable to Inuit languages;
To identify, investigate and review the relevant human rights instruments and conventions that could be used to revitalize and further develop Inuit languages and to recommend actions that could be taken based on this investigation and review to the Executive Council and the next General Assembly of ICC;
To approach various United Nations bodies dealing with language, communications and education issues including UNESCO’s programs on literacy, ILO-initiatives on the indigenous peoples, the World Bank and the World Trade Organization for financial and logistical support for the work, activities and purpose of the Commission.
To undertake other activities as directed by the Executive Council from time to time.
ICC’S POSITION ON THE LANGUAGE SITUATION IN INUIT HOMELAND
ICC Arctic Policy Principles and Elements include ICC’s principal stand on language matters in Inuit Homeland. Inuit language in its representation in various Inuit areas shall be retained, promoted and further developed.
ICC also complies with the Human Rights declarations and conventions which relate to the usage of the language in all aspects of the social life; practically, intellectually, politically and administratively.
Therefore it is of utmost importance that Inuit in administrative and political representative positions be aware of the implementation of the human rights instruments in direct relations to Inuit language.
Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC) Executive Council therefore call upon parliaments and self-governing entities in the Inuit Homeland to take attention to the Inuit language status and initiate long term strategies for the usage of Inuit language in its representation in their areas.
ICC requests to be informed about the status of the Inuit language in each Inuit areas and about how the long term strategies are for the preservation, promotion and further development of the language.
ICC Language Commission will include the status of the different areas periodically during its proceedings in its period of work.