Declaration
on Nordic
Language Policy

The language or languages we use have a huge impact on how we understand ourselves, how other people understand us, and how we understand them. Language as well as culture conveys our history and constitutes our most important piece of shared social infrastructure. Language fosters a sense of community, builds trust, strengthens democracy, and facilitates participation in society. All of these aspects make the Nordic language community important for the continued development of a shared Nordic identity and for promoting the Nordic Region as the most integrated region in the world.

The Scandinavian languages, which are spoken in much of the Nordic Region, co-exist with several others in our multilingual region. We regard all languages as equal, even if they do not all play the same role. The languages in the Nordic Region that can be used for official purposes and which are essential to our societies are Danish, Finnish, Faroese, Greenlandic, Icelandic, Norwegian (Bokmål and Nynorsk), the Sami languages, and Swedish, of which the Sami languages and Greenlandic are defined as indigenous languages. Due to their long-standing presence in the region, the following languages also have a special status as national minority languages: Meänkieli, Kven, Finnish, the Sami languages, Romani (Chib), Romanes, Yiddish, and German. The Region is also home to the Nordic sign languages. Many new languages and, by extension, new mother tongues have come into play over the years due to immigration from other language areas. At school, all children and young people learn English and, to varying extents, other languages. It’s vital that we in the Nordic Region have a solid grasp of languages used in international contexts. Multilingualism and parallel language use help to strengthen our position in the world and our shared vision.

As a Nordic community, we want to preserve and develop all our languages as well as our language community. According to the Helsinki Treaty, education and training in the Nordic Region must include teaching in the languages, culture, and social conditions of the other Nordic countries, including the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland. We want to strengthen our shared knowledge and understanding of the languages that are spoken, especially the understanding of the Scandinavian languages. Children and young people are the future of the Nordic community, and we wish to encourage their interest in the Nordic languages and co-operation.

The objectives outlined in this declaration will be followed up by way of work programmes which will be regularly reviewed. The Nordic Council of Ministers of Education and Research and the Nordic Council of Ministers for Culture will ensure that the programmes are drawn up, adopted and implemented by the relevant sectors to achieve the objectives of this declaration.